New Plant Scheduled to Open in Fall of 2010;
Will Seek LEED Certification as a “Green” Building
ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston announced today plans to build a new,
state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly processing plant near Delhi,
La., designed primarily to process high-quality sweet potatoes from the
region into fries and related products. The new plant is scheduled to
open in November 2010, and will create approximately 275 jobs when it
opens for operation. Future expansion could increase the total number of
jobs created to more than 500.
Sweet potatoes are one of today’s hottest food trends with per capita
consumption up 21 percent in the past five years according to the USDA.
A 2007 Technomic survey showed that 85 percent of the general population
is favorably inclined toward sweet potatoes.
“We’ve learned from our extensive experience with sweet potatoes that
they require special handling and processing,” said Jeff DeLapp,
president, Lamb Weston. “This new processing plant is uniquely designed
to enhance the quality of our sweet potato products in the most
efficient way, which allows us to continue bringing value to our
customers. Those customers, including some of the largest quick-service
restaurant chains, seek consistent, high-quality sweet potato fries and
other sweet potato products. We look forward to meeting the strong and
growing demand for these potato products.”
“This significant investment is indicative of the big opportunity we see
in our potato platform,” said Gary Rodkin, CEO, ConAgra Foods.
“Potatoes, including sweet potatoes, are a strategic priority for
ConAgra Foods, and we are committed to expansion in this area. This new
plant will further our North American leadership position in potatoes by
supporting growth in an adjacent category, and add to our worldwide
presence.”
The plant will be one of the first food plants in the country built from
the ground up with the newest and best processing and packaging
technologies in the industry, and will follow LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) standards for environmentally sustainable
construction. The plant’s sustainable building design will provide
multiple environmental, economic, health and community benefits,
including a substantial reduction in energy usage and water
conservation. In addition, the plant’s design will incorporate such
features as natural lighting and minimally irrigated landscaping.
