McCain adding $80 million specialty production line to New Brunswick facility

McCain Foods will invest $80 million toward the creation of a new Formed Potato Specialty production line at its existing Grand Falls, New Brunswick facility.

The production expansion will enable McCain to meet the growing customer demand for market segment and also further strengthens the company’s potato processing presence in North America.

An estimated 80 new full-time jobs will be added to the production line once the facility expansion is completed.

“Investing in the Grand Falls facility is a testament to the many successful partnerships McCain values with our local potato growers, employees and communities,” said Danielle Barran, president of McCain Foods Canada. “McCain is a proud, Canadian family-owned business, where we continue to strengthen and grow our businesses in New Brunswick to meet the growing consumer demand for McCain potato products.”

The new production line will be operational by early 2021 and will feature advanced technology for process efficiency as well as state-of-the-art food safety, processing and packaging equipment.

There will be demand for an additional 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of harvested potatoes by New Brunswick potato growers in order to supply the new, McCain executive Dale McCarthy said.

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New Brunswick is a key potato-growing region in Canada, representing an estimated 15% of the total Canadian production and acreage. New Brunswick potato growers are experienced, and many have established business relationships with McCain Foods.

“With today’s announcement, both the Grand Falls facility and the recent Florenceville expansion will provide McCain Foods with two of the largest Formed Specialty lines in the industry,” McCarthy added.

With few exceptions, McCain’s potato products are made from local potatoes grown on farms close to their facilities, which are spread across Canada in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Alberta.