Located next to the Steinfeld Products Co. pickle processing plant, Hartung plans to use the space to build and operate a cucumber-sorting and pickle-brining storage facility. Upon completion, Hartung will supply brined pickles to Steinfeld, a 78-year-old firm that was purchased by Dean Foods Inc. of Franklin Park, IL in 1999.

The port developed the industrial yard in the mid-1980s for firms that need open storage space. Brown-Strauss Steel Inc., which has leased the yard since 1989, plans to relocate to a larger facility in Longview, WA in December.

According to a spokesman for the port, Hartung's 20-year lease includes two five-year renewal options. The initial rent on the yard space is $17,000 per month commencing May 1, 2002 due to rent credits earned by Hartung for performing certain property enhancements.