It’s not every day you hear a dairy plant likened to an architectural gem. But Bob Whitefield, an engineer at Smith Brothers Farms, likened the milk processing plant in Kent, Wash., to the Taj Mahal. In August 2013, the family-owned milk processor moved from a 90-year-old facility into a newer 50,000-square-foot space that puts production, warehouse and corporate headquarters under the same roof.
The owners of Smith Brothers Farms were considering building a new plant when a former H.J. Heinz soup factory became available. The 30,000-square-foot milk processing facility and 20,000-square-foot warehouse were too good to pass up. Not only is the facility more modern, more efficient and cleaner than the former plant, but also the new space gives the company the room to add capacity when it is needed.