Work resumes on $24M Tri-Cities greenhouses. Local Bounti’s first in PNW
A $24 million greenhouse project in the Tri-Cities is back on track, months after being paused.
Local Bounti put its Pasco project on hold earlier this year as it finalized a $122 million purchase of Pete’s. The acquisition will help position the grower to distribute nationwide.
Pete’s had recently embarked on a new project that saw a greenhouse in Georgia used solely for pre-packaged salads and was looking for a partner to grow their distribution network, according to a news release from investment banking firm Lincoln International.
The company prides itself on sustainability and quality, saying the products are all grown onsite and last 3 to 5 times longer than traditional leafy greens sold in stores. Their products are non-GMO and pesticide free.
The move positions Local Bounti to be able to distribute to more than 10,000 grocers in 35 states.
Now that the merger is complete, Local Bounti has begun resubmitting permits through the city of Pasco.
They plan to build a 242,000-square-foot greenhouse on a parcel of land just south of A Street between the intersections Elm Street and Oregon Avenue, according to the documents. The land was once used as a cattle stockyard, according to an environmental study of the property.
The plans also include a future second greenhouse, coming in at 162,000 square feet. That would give Local Bounti a total of more than 400,000 square feet of growing space.
The company already had begun the dirt work before putting the project on hold earlier this year. Workers were seen at the property resuming that work last week.
The company says its growing operations requires 90% less land and 90% less water than traditional farming, and are able to grow year round using hydroponic technology, according to the company.
The 5.5-acre greenhouse comes out to nearly double the initial size of the Georgia pre-packaged salad growing facility, which is planned to expand to 6-acres.
In all the Pasco property is 28 acres, with plans to cover about 10 acres with the two greenhouses.
The greenhouse was estimated to employ 84 people based on initial plans. The initial planning documents only provided an estimate for the first greenhouse facility.
About 75% of the greenhouse will be growing space, with the remainder used for packaging and distribution, according to planning documents.
Local Bounti offers a variety of salad products, ranging from lettuce to herbs and pre-packaged individual salads.
The Pasco greenhouse will be the Montana-based company’s first Pacific Northwest facility. They do already have distribution hubs in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, though.
Their goal is to grow everything they sell within 400 miles of the stores the products are carried in. For example, the Georgia facility will produce salads for Wal-Mart, Target, Albertson’s, Kroger and Publix owned stores in Georgia and the states bordering it, according to an IPO Edge analysis.
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 7:48 PM.
