Juice maker conducting search for growing room; The Bradenton-based company is exploring expansion in Manatee County or Sarasota County.(BUSINESS)

Byline: Matthew Sauer STAFF WRITER

Tropicana Products Inc. is looking for a developer to construct it a 75,000-square-foot office building with room to expand to 125,000 square feet during the next five years.

A spokesman said the juice company wants to lease space constructed in either Manatee County or Sarasota County because Tropicana does not have the space at its 265-acre location in Bradenton for a new building.

"The situation is this: We're growing and equally, if not more important, is that we have people in space that is not suitable," said spokesman Mark Gutsche. "We want to get people into appropriate space."

Besides its headquarters building on the west side of the Bradenton site, Tropicana has workers nearby in office buildings dating to the 1950s.

It's possible that Tropicana might move top executives or employees from other departments into the new building. The company expects the bidding, permitting and construction process to …