Chuckanut Bay Foods breaks ground on facility in Blaine

Chuckanut Bay Foods staff members at the site of the future production facility. Photo courtesy of Chuckanut Bay Foods

By Stefanie Donahue

A project to relocate Chuckanut Bay Foods from Ferndale to Blaine is well underway.

Joined by staff and other guests on May 11, Chuckanut Bay Foods co-owners Dave Loeppky and Matt Roth broke ground on construction of a new 18,500-square-foot production facility at the site of the former Blaine Municipal Airport, also known as the Gateway Parcel. In December, the company purchased 2.28 acres of the site for $396,644.

“We brought all our staff to the site along with guests from the city, our professional design team, our contractor and our bank,” Loeppky said in an email. “After a short presentation, everyone was able to scope a shovel of dirt into a mixing bowl, which we are keeping onsite, and will eventually turn into a flower planter outside the building.”

Specializing in locally-sourced cheesecakes, Chuckanut Bay Foods currently operates out of a 5,800-square-foot production facility in Ferndale, employing an estimated 80 people with an annual payroll of around $2.5 million. Several major retailers sell Chuckanut Bay Foods products.

Loeppky and Roth originally intended to build a larger production facility in Ferndale, but preferred the location in Blaine due to its proximity to I-5 and existing business partners.

The city granted a building and land disturbance permit for the project and on May 14, Bellingham-based contractor Roosendaal-Honcoop Construction and subcontractor Honcoop Gravel started work at the site.

Loeppky said the new production facility will include 8,000 square feet of food production space in addition to office and administration, warehouse, coolers and several freezers. The building is scheduled to be finished by December, he said.

To learn more about Chuckanut Bay Foods, visit chuckanutbay.com.