McCain marks official opening of Burley plant

Following the completion of a $200 million expansion last fall that added a third production line to the company’s frozen French fry manufacturing plant in Burley, officials at McCain Foods USA decided this week that a formal grand opening celebration was in order.

The 259,000-square-foot expansion is no small potatoes – adding about 180 jobs to the over 500 employees already working at the food plant, a company official said.

Over 150 attendees including elected officials, vendors, employees and others were on hand for the June 3 event.

“McCain Foods has a rich history in Idaho thanks to our dedicated employees, trusted grower partners and the overall community,” said Dale McCarthy, vice president of integrated supply chain at McCain Foods North America. He said the $200 million investment “will deepen our roots and commitment in this great state and grow the potato industry for years to come” to meet growing product demand.

Construction began in February 2018 after McCain announced the expansion in May 2017, but the project had been planned since 2013. McCain is a Canadian company, and its USA division is headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. The company has operated in Burley since 1997.

The recent project follows investments in the plant totaling some $40 million.

McCain’s North American Regional President Jeff DeLapp, in Site Selection magazine, said the company considered all of its North American sites for the massive undertaking that ultimately went to Burley.

“In the end, we chose Burley due to its proximity to quality potatoes, availability of skilled workforce and strong community and state-level support,” said DeLapp.

McCain Foods Burley now employs over 730 individuals who produce and distribute over 4.7 million pounds of potatoes across North America daily.

McCain was only the second company to receive the maximum state Tax Reimbursement Incentive of a 30% tax credit on the company’s income, payroll and sales taxes for 15 years. The incentive is estimated at $5.86 million in tax savings for McCain, for which the state anticipates $35.3 million in new total state revenue, according to the Idaho Commerce Department.

Burley lays claim to another new agriculture-related facility – also tied to the humble spud.

NewCold, a Netherlands-based company, recently spent $90 million to build a sub-zero cold storage warehouse. The facility will be the tallest structure in Burley. One of its biggest customers is McCain Foods.