McCain Foods USA, the US unit of potato product giant McCain Foods, has invested $300 million to expand its potato processing site in Othello, Washington.
The investment will pay for the construction of an additional 170,000-square-foot of production space at the site, doubling the overall production capacity at the facility and significantly expanding the company’s production capacity for the North American market.
Construction will begin this month, and McCain estimates that the expansion will be completed by end of 2021.
A new state-of-the-art battered and conventional french fry processing line will also be added at the site, and this will be the first such production line used by the company in the US.
McCain estimates that this investment will create approximately 180 new jobs in the area, and potatoes used at the site will be sourced from local farms.
Jeff DeLapp, president of McCain’s North American division said: “This investment signals confidence in Washington, its potato growing community and its skilled workforce availability.
“It quickly follows other McCain capacity investments, helping to meet the continued increasing demand for McCain products and builds toward a strong, sustainable future in manufacturing and agriculture.”
According to the company, this investment also upgrades the environmental credentials of the site, reducing the facility’s carbon footprint to ‘underline McCain’s commitment to sustainability’.
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