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Safe Food Alliance Kingsburg Lab Construction Project Reaches the Half-Way Point

Time flies when you are having fun, and the construction of the new South Valley Laboratory in Kingsburg has been one of those enjoyable projects! It seems like just yesterday that Safe Food Alliance gathered staff, Board Members and local dignitaries for the ground-breaking ceremony last January, but in reality it was six months ago. The winter rains that blessed a drought-stricken California delayed the early parts of the construction project, but by March the concrete foundation had been poured and the building began to take shape.

As of early August, the facility has a roof and outer walls and the interior framing has been completed. Spacious walk-in incubators, freezers and coolers await the arrival of samples when the laboratory comes online in early 2018. The next several weeks will see the installation of sheetrock and the completion of the interior walls, once electrical and data cables are in place. As summer turns into fall, interior finishes such as heating/cooling, doors, painting, flooring, finished plumbing and cabinetry will be done. The current schedule calls for all construction to be completed in December, with the final inspections and approvals about two weeks before Christmas.

Once this process is complete the new facility is turned over to Safe Food Alliance and the moving can begin. The delicate process of transporting scientific instruments and moving the South Valley Laboratory and DFA inspection offices to our new home should be completed in the first few months of 2018. A state-of-the-art training room is also a part of the facility and will become a center for food safety education. Our current plans are to host a terrific open house with tours, food and refreshments on April 26th, 2018, so mark your calendars and come join the celebration!