Viking Coke Granted Variance for Portion of 50,000 Square Foot Expansion

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a variance Tuesday night, allowing beverage distributor Viking Coke to expand its operation.

The company is planning to add a 50,000 square foot addition to its building at 4380 8th Street North. The variance was needed for the final 5,600 square feet of the project, allowing the structure to be built 10 feet from 44th Avenue North instead of the required 20-foot setback.

The new space will make way for modern automation in the distribution processes. Project Manager Dennis Patrick was elated, speaking to KNSI News moments after getting approval. “It’s very exciting. In today’s environment, we carry probably a thousand different products right now. And the labor intensity of trying to pick those is very difficult to build orders.”

He explains that the automation represents a crucial next step for the company. “We’ve been kind of growing out of ourselves here. We’re looking to expand with some additional distribution out of St. Cloud, which will in turn, obviously bring some more employees into our facility, along with some good jobs.”

The expansion project is expected to create approximately a dozen permanent full-time jobs for the St. Cloud area.

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