Freds Appliance Inc., of Spokane, plans to open a new retail outlet this year in a 20,000-square-foot building to be built for the store just west of the Spokane Valley Mall. In addition to leasing that building, Freds Appliance plans to remodel two other structures and to move personnel in changes that will involve all four of its stores here.


Only the companys Coeur dAlene store wont feel the planned changes, says owner John Amistoso.


Well still have the same number of stores, but theyll be way bigger, he says. The biggest store we have now is 10,000 square feet.


Amistoso says the 45-year-old family-owned business has grown every year since 1962 and is projected to have about $33 million in revenue this year. Currently, the company has 90 employees and could add 10 more, most of them at the new store, he says.


He projects most of the changes will be completed by this fall.


The building for the new Freds Appliance outlet, to be erected near the southwest corner of Evergreen Road and Indiana Avenue, will be owned by Hanson Industries Inc., of Spokane Valley, and will be constructed by Meridian Construction Inc., of Spokane. Meridian Construction already is building just to the east a store for G.I. Joes Inc., a Wilsonville, Ore.-based sporting goods retailer, Amistoso says.


Once the city of Spokane Valley approves building permits, Meridian Construction will start construction of the Freds Appliance structure, which will be ready for occupancy during the third quarter this year, while it continues work on the 52,000-square-foot G.I. Joes building, says Amistoso. He declines to estimate the cost of the Freds Appliances building.


In addition to opening the new store in Spokane Valley, Freds Appliance will remodel a 6,000-square-foot building at 2601 N. Monroe that has been serving as a clearance center for the business. The structure will be converted to a service center, and about 30 service personnel will move there from the companys store at 2525 N. Monroe.


Freds Appliance also has leased the former Foot Locker Inc. outlet at 3321 N. Division and will remodel it and move the two clearance centers it operates now, in a leased 6,500-square-foot building at 3117 N. Division and at the 2601 N. Monroe site, into that 10,000-square-foot building, says Amistoso. In addition, Freds Appliance will convert whats now a 9,000-square-foot appliance retail outlet at 10619 E. Sprague into a second clearance center, Amistoso says.


When the companys moves are completed, Freds Appliance still will have three retail appliance outlets and two clearance centers, where slightly damaged appliances bought from manufacturers are resold at discounted prices, as it does now, plus a separate service center, says Amistoso. All but one of those operations, though, will have more space, he says.


After the changes are complete, the three appliance retail outlets will be the new 20,000-square-foot structure near Evergreen and Indiana, the original 9,000-square-foot retail store at 2525 N. Monroe, and its 10,000-square-foot store in Coeur dAlene.


One more change Freds Appliance plans this summer is to upgrade an 8,000-square-foot metal warehouse it owns at 2904 N. Monroe, he says.


That building will be used to house the slightly damaged, but fully warranted, appliances that will be checked out before theyre sold at Freds Appliances clearance centers, Amistoso says.


Contact Rocky Wilson at (509) 344-1264 or via e-mail at rockyw@spokanejournal.com.