ConAgra Foods, Inc. executives joined with distinguished local and regional government dignitaries to celebrate the grand opening of its Lamb Weston potato processing factory in Shangdu, Inner Mongolia, on November 20. The facility is Omaha, Nebraska, USA-headquartered ConAgra Foods’ first plant in China. It acquired the premises from TaiMei Potato Industries Limited in July of 2014.
The factory expands Lamb Weston’s operations in a market where there is growing demand for value-added potato products. The company makes a variety of frozen potato, sweet potato and additional vegetable products for restaurants, other foodservice outlets and retailers in more than 100 countries around the world, and has been doing business in China and throughout Asia for more than 25 years.
Officiating at the factory’s grand opening ceremonies are (men seen left to right) Dennis Foo, vice president and general manager, China, ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston; Greg Schlafer, president, ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston; Paul Maass, president, Private Brands and Commercial Foods, ConAgra Foods; and government officers.
The plant is located in one of the largest potato growing regions in the PRC and provides Lamb Weston the ability to make frozen potato products closer to its expanding customer base and meet the growing demand for frozen potato products in Asia. Approximately 340 employees produce frozen french fries for quick service restaurants and other foodservice customers. The facility also makes potato flakes.
Since acquiring TaiMei, ConAgra Foods has invested in upgrading the factory to meet exacting standards for employee safety, food safety and quality, bringing advanced potato planting and processing technologies to the market. The facility began production on October 31.
“This is a big day for ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston and our business in China,” said Greg Schlafer, president of Lamb Weston. “We’re pleased to be a part of the local community here in Shangdu, supporting the agricultural economy in the region. We’re confident in our local workforce, and we’re proud to bring our more than 60 years of potato processing experience to the area with a focus on safe, efficient and sustainable operations.”
