Olympic Foods Inc., a Spokane company that makes, bottles, and packages juices and manufactures plastic and paper beverage containers, is acquiring equipment that will enable it to fill 4-, 6-, and 10-ounce paper cartons with beverages.


Olympic Foods already packages products in paper and plastic containers of several different sizes, ranging in volume from 3 ounces to 128 ounces, says Doug Koffinke, president and CEO of Olympic Foods. He predicts that the new equipment, which is expected to be operational by December, will attract new customers to Olympic Foods and will spur an increase in orders from existing customers.


It will probably increase (total production) capacity by 10 percent, Koffinke says. It wont run at capacity to begin with. It will take time to ramp up the customer base.


Koffinke says the equipment will cost about $500,000. He declines to disclose Olympic Foods annual revenues or revenue projections. The equipment wont result in any additional hiring at the company, which has about 100 employees, he says.


The paper cartons the new equipment will handle are made from whats called paperboard, and are similar to the cube-shaped milk cartons sold in schools. In the industry, such packages also are called mini-gable cartons or eco-paks, Koffinke says.


Olympic Foods will package juice and juice drinks in the new cartons under its two brand names, Natures Genuine and Citrus Sunshine, and under customers private-label brands, he says.


Despite the sluggish economy, Koffinke says business during the last few years has been steady at Olympic Foods, which is located at 5625 W. Thorpe Road on the West Plains.


Weve really focused on weathering a tough economy, he says. Weve been working with existing customers to improve the business operations and efficiencies of our company.


The company expanded its 115,000-square-foot warehouse and built an office addition in 1999, and doesnt plan to add more space any time soon, Koffinke says.


We have room to continue to grow, he says.