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Northern Lights Inc. (NLI) recently broke ground on a new warehouse in Trout Creek. Construction is expected to be complete by early this fall on the 4,374 square foot building. The new facility will have a small office, restroom, additional indoor storage for materials, additional indoor parking for equipment and vehicles, and a vehicle washing station on one end.

NLI will remove the existing building when construction is complete. St. Clair Construction is the general contractor for the project, but NLI stated that many of the subcontractors are local businesses.

NLI bought the existing building after the construction of the Noxon Rapids Dam, which was completed in 1959. The building was previously used as a bunkhouse for workers at the dam. It was set up with small open-top cubicles, each with a bunk bed and place to store clothing. There also was a cafeteria-style dining area. There may even have been a small bar at one time. Outside the warehouse was a drive-in movie theater. Before NLI moved into the bunkhouse, it had a shed-like structure in the Trout Creek area on the old gravel highway. Highway 200 was re-rerouted and paved through Trout Creek around the time the dam was built and is where NLI’s current warehouse facility stands.

The existing building has served its purpose and was certainly an upgrade from the previous facility, the company said in a press release. However, the repairs needed to make the space functional, efficient, and safe dictate a new facility.

NLI said the upgrades will position the company to continue providing quality service to the areas it serves from its outlying area warehouse in Trout Creek.