2019 will be an exciting year for Altona based Sun Valley Co-op.

The board of directors announced its decision to expand its grocery store in Altona.

"We're going to be adding on to the south side of the store. Once it's complete, the entrance will be squared off from its angled position and the parking lot will be expanded," said General Manager Brad Iverson. "We own property to the north, which is currently a grass field, and we'll be using that to expand our parking lot."

The store will almost double in size going from 14,000 square feet to about 25,000 square feet.

A continued increase in sales over the past number of years prompted the decision to expand the store, according to Iverson.

"Sales have been growing every year, and at the end of the day, the location is just too small. We're running out of room which is limiting our ability to bring in new products to offer our customers. This new room is going to allow us to expand product selection in all departments."

In addition to creating more space, the renovation will also give the building a new look on the outside and will replace some of the aging equipment inside.

Iverson wouldn't divulge the value of the project, except to says it won't be cheap.

"It's going to be a significant investment, but we've been preparing ourselves, both with the balance sheet and strategically, so that we'd be ready for this project."

Construction will begin this fall with completion expected in 2020.

In addition to the expansion project, Sun Valley Co-op had more good news to present to its members.

The Co-op registered record sales in 2018 totalling $48.6 million dollars, a $5 million increase over 2017. Net savings on its operations totalled 4.1 million compared to 2.1 million the year previous.