With a county zoning permit approved, Sonju Industrial and SI Defense are moving ahead with plans to construct a building to consolidate their firearms and aerospace manufacturing operations at their site on U.S. 93 north of Kalispell.

“They currently are in two facilities, north and south, and the intent is to get it all in one [north] facility,” said Terry Kramer of Kramer Enterprises. His firm was hired to design and build the project.

The Flathead County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit for the expansion on Tuesday. The permit is needed to expand the facility because manufacturing is not a permitted use in a suburban agriculture zoning district that it predates.

A similar permit approved several years ago included plans for a retail shop and indoor shooting range, components that have been dropped this time around, Kramer told board of adjustment members.

That last permit expired after one year of inactivity.

“We’ve been looking at this project for some time and put a lot of thought into this. This will be a new stage for both companies,” said Jon Sonju, business development manager.

“Right now business is good. But manufacturing has lots of ups and downs and we understand what lean times are about, too. We take a lot of caution in regard to business moves like this.”

SI Defense builds AR rifles and rifle components. Sonju Industrial manufactures components for major companies such as Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The project involves a 19,500-square-foot addition to the company’s existing 14,000-square-foot building north of Kalispell to make room for more machinery and increased production capacity.

It will have a large work floor, offices, about 44 new parking spaces, a new well and an upgraded septic system.

Kramer said site work will start almost immediately and the project should be wrapped up by September. “It’s a very fast project. They literally have equipment coming and things they have to get moved in and contracts. It’s really an exciting time for them,” he said.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.