Wheat Belt to build new headquarters

After 67 years in the same location, Wheat Belt Public Power District has announced that it will break ground on April 27 for a new Wheat Belt headquarters and warehouse facility.

The new building will be located about six miles north of Sidney at the northeast corner of Highway 385 and County Road 32.

The existing building – located at 2104 Illinois St., Sidney – will be sold. It has been the headquarters of the company since 1948.

“We do not have the philosophy to just build something new for the sake of it being new, but rather we needed some robust reasoning and solid financial savings behind the decision,” explained Tim Lindahl, the CEO and general manager.

The new headquarters will include more office space for current employees and future growth, upgraded infrastructure for technology needs, and a larger warehouse facility and yard, Lindahl said.

The latest technology in LED lighting Geo-Exchange conditioning, and energy efficiency construction will be showcased in the new headquarters. The company will utilize the area for bulk purchases and storage, which allows for better contract pricing of items.

The Wheat Belt Board of directors voted to move forward with the project in March with stipulations. Customer meetings were held in five different locations, with minimal concerns being heard

“The best part is this building project should not be directly related to any rate increase we may need in the future,” Lindahl said. “The cost savings, existing facility sale, and cash surpluses received from non-rate related revenue, should be sufficient to cover a large portion, if not all, of this project.”