Canadian frozen French fry giant McCain Foods is to invest CAD80m (US$60.7m) into its domestic Grand Falls, New Brunswick, plant.
The money, to be used for a new high-speed formed potato speciality line, follows the CAD12m the company committed to the nearby Florenceville facility in September.
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McCain said the Grand Falls plant investment will allow it to “meet the growing customer demand for the fast-growing market segment and also further strengthens the company’s potato processing presence both in Canada and North America”.
An estimated 80 new full-time jobs will be added to the production line once the facility expansion is completed.
The new line is due to be operational by early 2021 and the company – considered to be the world’s largest French fry manufacturer – said it will feature advanced technology for process efficiency as well as “state-of-the-art” food safety, processing and packaging equipment.
Dale McCarthy, vice president of integrated supply chain at McCain’s operations in North America, said: “Today’s investment announcement at our Grand Falls facility reflects McCain’s commitment to the potato business in New Brunswick and to the people that live and work in the Grand Falls community.
“Based on the Grand Falls facility expansion, there will be demand for an additional 1,200 hectares of harvested potatoes by New Brunswick potato growers in order to supply the new high-speed formed potato speciality line.”
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By GlobalDataNew Brunswick represents an estimated 15% of Canada’s potato production and acreage.
