Ravalli Electric Co-op (REC) has officially relocated to its brand-new facility located at the intersection of Hwy 93 and Bell Crossing. REC employees began the move on November 18 and will be passing on their old facility to the Corvallis School District which acquired the property in 2018.
During a strategic planning session in 2016, Ravalli Electric’s board of directors decided the need for a new facility had become a reality. After a year of research and planning, construction of the facility began last June. The new building consists of a 20,000 square-foot office space and a 30,000 square-foot warehouse space, which replaces the co-op’s two former separate buildings. The building will help improve efficiencies, improve workflow for inside and outside functions, combine workforces, and provide enough room to accommodate all 33 REC employees as they merge into one location.
“Although it is bittersweet closing our old office that had served us well for many years, we look forward to providing better resources to our membership and employees with our new headquarters for years to come,” stated REC Manager Mark Grotbo.
With a larger warehouse and fleet storage area line crews and service fleet, REC will be able to better respond to outages as well as regular maintenance work. The new location also provides better access to both ends of the valley and REC’s service territory.
“It has been an exciting journey watching this project progress from an idea to reality,” said Melissa Greenwood, Manager of Communications. “This building is a commitment to our members and the community and was built to serve many generations of co-op members.”
The new facility will not have an impact on rates, with costs spread out over several years.
An official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the co-op on December 19 at 1 p.m. followed by guided tours of the new facility from 2 to 4 p.m.