Litehouse begins $6.2M expansion with a bang

SANDPOINT — Litehouse Inc., one of the largest manufacturers in Bonner County, will begin its much-anticipated expansion at its Ella Avenue facility in Sandpoint on Friday, Dec. 9 at 8:30 am.

The event will begin with a bang as the Litehouse executives start the expansion with a sledgehammer to knock a hole in the wall, officially beginning the $6.2 million 26,000-square-foot addition designed to support the growth of the nation’s premier salad dressing, sauce, dip, herb and cheese company. This expansion underscores Litehouse’s commitment to and investment in the Sandpoint community and Bonner County.

“We are committed to continued growth and prosperity for our 900 employee owners and to supporting the communities in which we live,” said Jim Frank, Litehouse president and CEO. “We are building to meet the growing consumer demand of Litehouse products which is fueled by product innovations, success of our marketing campaigns, and the increased distribution in stores such as Publix in the eastern and southern parts of the country.”

The Ella facility, where dairy- and oil-based dressings and fruit dips are manufactured, is the largest of Litehouse’s three Sandpoint facilities. With the expansion, the current 120,000-square-foot plant will include a new cooler, a shipping and receiving center, loading docks, updated employee break rooms and facilities and a recently completed 4,000-square-foot wastewater treatment facility. This first phase should be completed by June 2017. Further expansion and improvements will continue with additional phases over the next couple of years.

Bonner County has supported the growth of Litehouse with tax incentives for its investment in the buildings and its structural components. Additionally, a tax incentive will be granted to Litehouse for equipment and machinery included in the expansion; these exemptions will be in effect at varying levels over the next five years.

“We are grateful to Bonner County for continuing to support the growth of our company and we in turn are committed to fueling our local communities,” added Frank.

Litehouse, Inc. started in the Hope restaurant of the Hawkins family over 50 years ago. Since that time, it has become the leader in refrigerated salad dressings, fruit and veggie dips, sauces, freeze dried herbs, blue cheese, and fresh pressed apple cider, manufacturing its products at five U.S. facilities based in Michigan, Utah and Idaho.

Information: LitehouseFoods.com