Servatron boosts ties with Itron

Spokane Valley-based Servatron Inc. announced Monday it has extended its contract for manufacturing services with Itron, Inc., and will also take over 30,000 square feet in Itron’s headquarters building.

Servatron, a contract manufacturing and services firm, now leases roughly the same amount of space in a portion of Itron’s main building at 15520 E. Fairview. The new lease will nearly double the space for Servatron’s production crews, said company spokesman Tom Vietri. Servatron, which spun off from Itron in 2000, employs about 140 people.

Itron’s current building has 140,000 square feet of space. It’s not clear what use will be made of the portion Servaton doesn’t lease.Itron develops and sells meter-reading technology and services to utilities. Later this year, Itron will move its headquarters to a Liberty Lake building, opening up the new space for Servatron.

Most of Servatron’s business has been based on producing products for Itron’s customers. In the last three years Servatron has expanded its list of customers to include other technology companies and regional manufacturers.

The new Itron contract, which runs for five years, means Servatron will continue manufacturing, testing and repair work on some current and future Itron products, said Tod Byers, Servatron president.

Byers noted that Itron has agreed to sell back its minority share in Servatron to company owners. The amount paid for the remaining 30 percent stake in Servatron was not disclosed.

“We have come full circle with Itron by signing this agreement,” said Byers in the press release. “Itron gave us the opportunity to create this company locally, when they could have sold it to another (firm).

“This agreement shows the faith that Itron continues to place in Servatron to build and support their products for the long term.”