Jul 15, 2025J.R. Simplot to acquire Belgian potato processor
Global food and agriculture company J.R. Simplot has agreed to acquire Belgian potato processing company Clarebout Potatoes in a deal expected to close by the end of the year.
The combination of Simplot, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, and Clarebout will create a frozen potato processing group with 23 production locations worldwide, according to a statement from Simplot.
“This is an exciting time for Simplot,” Graham Dugdale, president of Simplot’s Global Food business, said in the statement. “We are thrilled about the synergy that Clarebout brings to our business, which not only expands our ability to serve the European market but brings together a pair of family-owned companies who align closely in core values and our commitment to customers, employees and the communities where we operate.”
Clarebout, with five European production sites and more than 3,000 employees, specializes in frozen potato products for private-label customers in the retail, catering and food manufacturing sectors.
“It’s a coming together of heart and mind,” Clarebout Potatoes CEO Jan Clarebout said. “With Simplot, we share the common values of family businesses. Simplot, like Clarebout, started from scratch and managed to grow while remaining faithful to principles as essential as respect for people and the earth.
“We could have continued on our own, but the economic reality of the world, and a form of common sense, led us to come together. It’s a choice for the future and a sustainable future.”
The agreement provides for maintenance and potential expansion of Clarebout production sites and staff, the companies said.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Simplot Foods sells potato products under brands including Simplot RoastWorks, Simplot Conquest Fries and Simplot Blue Ribbon Fries.
