Starbucks’ warehouses in Reno-Sparks to be consolidated in expansion of Minden plant

Carson Valley residents with a love of coffee can look forward to expanded career options next year — roughly 100 new jobs are expected to come to the Valley as the result of the expansion of the Starbucks Carson Valley Roasting Plant and Distribution Center. Officials broke ground on the expansion last Wednesday.

With the expansion, the center is expected to employ a total of about 350 people. The new jobs will include managers, supervisors, coordinators and distribution partners, according to Starbucks.

“It’s exciting for the county to see economic expansion,” said County Manager Larry Werner. “It brings more labor force and opportunities. We think it’s great.”

The new warehouse will bring the company’s Western Nevada operations under one roof, a representative said last week.

Currently, Starbucks’ warehouses are located in Reno and Sparks, according to Chris Baker, spokesman from Manhard Consulting.

Consoldating the roasting plant and warehousing at one site will reduce the amount of truck traffic to the plant.

“This is really a consolidation of Starbucks’ facilities in Western Nevada, shifting to and from sites in Reno and Sparks,” Baker said. “Everything will be under one roof.”

Starbucks will be hiring 140 new employees to cover warehouse shifts, Baker said. He said the company’s preference is to hire locally where possible.

The original plant was approved in 2001. Douglas County Planner Steve Mason estimated that it could be the largest building in Douglas County.

The $50 million expansion project will add roughly 720,000 square feet to the warehouse and distribution center, located off of Johnson Lane, Starbucks said in a June 2 press release. The existing building is a 415,000-square-foot roasting plant and distribution center.

Starbucks’ original Douglas County roasting facility opened in 2003 as a 360,000-square-foot plant before expanding in 2005. It is located on a 100-acre site that Starbucks purchased for $4.6 million.

“The Starbucks Carson Valley Roasting Plant and Distribution Center has made a huge impact on the Douglas County economy since it was first opened,” Economic Vitality Director Lisa Granaham said in an email. “The Fortune 500 Company is one of the larger employers in the county.”