Apr. 18—The owners of a small-scale agricultural equipment manufacturer are in talks to expand at the Port of Lewiston.

Located on Thain Road in the Lewiston Orchards, Agpro is in negotiations to lease 4 acres owned by the port in North Lewiston. The land is near the city of Lewiston's garbage transfer station and Northwest Fourslide, a metal parts producer relocating to Idaho from Oregon.

Port of Lewiston commissioners Wednesday unanimously approved working on lease terms for Agpro that will be brought back to them at a later date for a vote.

Agpro manufactures high-quality seed, fertilizer and chemical application equipment in a 10,000-square-foot building on 2 1/2 acres on three adjacent, separately owned lots, said Mercia Neace, vice president and an owner of Agpro.

Last year, Agpro made five to six drills, but anticipates roughly doubling that at its proposed facility partly because of the abundance of outdoor space where it completes much of its assembly, Neace said.

"It's not an ideal situation," Neace said of Agpro's present site. "We've completely outgrown our building. ... I'm not going to say it's hurting business because we're very resourceful. We find ways to make sure that we can get our drills built. ... It's challenging to do as much of the work as we want in the small space that we have."

Agpro would construct a 16,000-square-foot building on the site it's identified at the port and expects it would be ready in two to four years, Neace said.

The expansion is happening at a time when Agpro anticipates a 25% increase in sales in the next two years across all product categories such as drills, orchard machines, drill kits, sprayers and water cannons, according to a written overview Agpro supplied to the port.

"Our unique drills are custom-made and work well in the Palouse area," according to the overview. "Agpro is also gaining a market in the driver parts of eastern Washington with its deep furrow drill that is capable of seeding 8 (inches) deep."

The equipment has interchangeable parts to speed repairs, according to the overview.

"We ensure farmers can quickly replace worn components without significant downtime," according to the overview. "This not only extends the lifespan of the equipment but also reduces maintenance costs and increases overall operational efficiency."

The larger site would have other benefits such as helping with employee retention, Neace said.

Highly talented students from Washington State University and Lewis-Clark State College routinely seek employment at Agpro, she said.

Her company employs as many of them as possible, but anticipates hiring even more at a larger site, Neace said.

Plus, Agpro might be able to offer additional amenities such as an employee fitness room and a dog park.

"We've found the good ones," she said. "They've been coming to us."

One of the reasons Agpro is growing is because of its close ties to the agricultural community, according to the overview.

President and Owner Blake Neace was raised on a farm and ranch in the Cloverland area and has helped manage a farm inherited from his grandfather in Washtucna, Wash.

One of Agpro's two founders in 1987 was Wayne Neace, Blake Neace's uncle. Blake Neace transitioned into the position Wayne Neace had held in 2013. Last year Blake and Mercia Neace acquired Agpro when Jerry Harper, Agpro's other founder, retired.

"This deep understanding of the farming industry enables Agpro to develop and deliver equipment that not only meets the highest quality standards, but also aligns with the practical demands of our customers' operations," according to the overview.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.