Parr Lumber Facility Adds to Clark County Buzz

The City of Ridgefield is celebrating the recent completion of construction on Parr Lumber’s new facility in the Ridgefield Commerce Center.

Community Development Director Kevin Snyder called Parr’s decision to build in Ridgefield “another sign of the growing awareness in the marketplace of the value and opportunities that we offer.”

The project included two structures – a 17,000-square-foot retail/warehouse building and a 9,600-square-foot storage/office building. The site is located on Timm Road, just southwest of Interstate 5 at Exit 14.

The retail/warehouse building featured concrete tilt-up construction and steel roof joists and decking. The retail portion of the structure sports wood frame construction, lap siding, brick veneer, and accent columns. The storage/office building utilized pre-engineered steel technology.

Jennifer Swick, Marketing Director for Parr Lumber, expects the building to employ 30 to 60 people.

Swick said Parr Lumber chose the Ridgefield location as a way to expand the company’s presence in Southwest Washington. “We were also attracted to Ridgefield because it’s a community with a vibrant vision for the future.”

Schlecht Construction of Kelso, Washington, was selected as the general contractor for the job. Swick said Parr Lumber has been very pleased with the work of the Schlecht team. “Their attention to detail, responsiveness, and proactive approach have been extremely beneficial.”

Site improvements included street upgrades on Timm Road, utility improvements, fencing, and asphalt and paving work. Schlecht Construction’s Mark Jackson, who served as project manager, said the biggest challenge was dealing with the soil content at the site. “We used a concrete-treated base, which involved mixing cement with the existing soil to make a stronger sub-grade.”

Typically, paving work would be done after the building is complete. But the process was reversed in this case in an effort to ensure that all paving was finished before the rainy season arrives.

Ridgefield has more than 1,000 acres of industrial and commercial land in close proximity to Interstate 5. Currently, the city has 350,000 square feet of industrial and commercial development under construction or review.

In addition to Parr Lumber, recent arrivals in the area include Pacific Custom Cabinetry, Pacific Power Products, and Hinton Development Corporation.