Simplot, McDonald’s Japan Recognize Top Five Washington Growers

The JR Simplot Co. and McDonald’s Japan have joined in recognizing the top five growers who supply high-quality raw product for the production of McDonald’s french fries and hash browns for the Japanese market.

“The selection of these five growers for this special recognition was based on raw potato grades delivered into the facilities during McDonald’s production runs by using the JR Simplot Grower Matrix,” said Bret Nedrow, Simplot Regional Raw Procurement Manager, Moses Lake (Wash.). “The growers were selected based on their high-quality raw product delivered and used to produce the consistently superior fries and hashbrowns that McDonald’s is known for in their restaurants worldwide.”

The growers recognized were Ed Schneider, Schneider Farms; Jack Gross, Marlin Hutterian Brethren; Keys Weyns, Weyns Farms; Berend Friehe, Friehe Farms (Heath Gimmestad accepted for Friehe Farms); and John McCloud, Glen Lewis Farms.

Awards were presented at a dinner in their honor at Pillar Rock Grill Dec. 10. Besides Nedrow, representing Simplot were Mike Johnson, senior director, Potato Manufacturing, Boise, Idaho; and Steve Hennig, senior director, McDonald’s Global QA.

Also on hand to honor the Washington growers were Washington State Potato Commission chair Ted Tschirky, Commissioner Randy Mullen, Assistant Executive Director Karen Bonaudi and Trade Director Matt Harris.

“McDonald’s Japan continues to focus on serving the highest quality products available and depends on the entire supply chain to deliver this product,” said Kurt James, Senior Vice President Product & Supply Chain Division, McDonald’s Company (Japan) Ltd. in a prepared statement. “On our recent visit to the Columbia Basin, we clearly recognized that our french fries start with potato growers that share the passion for quality. All of us in McDonald’s Japan appreciate the tremendous effort on the part of Simplot and their family of growers.”

Simplot plants located in Moses Lake and Othello, Washington supply french fries and hash brown patties to McDonald’s in Japan with potatoes grown in the Columbia Basin. The Moses Lake Simplot plant produces the McDonald’s fries, while Simplot in Othello produces breakfast hash brown patties. Outside of the U.S., Japan is the largest McDonald’s market in the world with nearly 4,000 restaurants.