Lamb Weston Invests $250 Million to Expand French Fry Capacity
Lamb Weston Holdings, a leading supplier of frozen potato, sweet potato, appetizer and vegetable products to restaurants and retailers around the world, is expanding its French fry processing capacity in North America.
The company announced an investment to expand operations at its Hermiston, Oregon, processing facility with the construction of a 300 million pound-per-year, state-of-the-artFrench fry line. The new line will be modeled on the company’s recently operational production line in Richland, Washington, and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019. The new Hermiston line is intended to support growth in North America, as well as exports to Asia where demand growth has been, and is expected to remain, strong. The expansion is expected to add approximately 170 full time positions.
The total investment for the new line is expected to be approximately $250 million, with capital expenditures of approximately $25 million and $225 million in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, respectively.
“The French fry category has been growing at attractive rates around the world, and we believe industry capacity has been challenged in recent years to keep up with continued growth in market demand,” says Tom Werner, President and CEO of Lamb Weston. “This investment in a new French fry processing line in the Columbia Basin reflects Lamb Weston’s continued commitment to support our strategic partners as they continue to grow their businesses in North America and abroad.”
