McCain Foods has narrowed the site search for construction of its next frozen food processing plant in the United States to two locations, one in Idaho and the other in Washington state, according to an Idaho Press report.
On June 18 the producer of value-added potatoes and other frozen products obtained approval for $400,000 in grants from the Caldwell Urban Renewal Agency (URA) in Idaho. Disbursement of the funds is continent on a decision to build a 164,000-square-foot factory on a 17-acre property at the Sky Ranch Industrial Park in the Boise metropolitan area.
Should McCain opt to proceed with construction in Caldwell, it is expected that up to 140 people would be hired during the first phase of construction, with nearly half of them earning at least $25 per hour, plus benefits. By the end of the project’s final phase, it is estimated that more than 500 workers will be required.
“That will be, from a Caldwell perspective, a major employer to this community … with a huge capital investment which helps our tax base,” said Economic Development Director Steve Fultz. He added that the first-phase investment from McCain would amount to approximately $134 million.
The URA grants include $200,000 in infrastructure funding and $200,000 for job creation, the latter of which would be disbursed quarterly over a two-year period.
“We felt like a $400,000 benefit would be what it would take to really bring them (McCain) in and make this an easier decision for them,” stated Fultz.
Should McCain green light the project, construction would likely begin in September, according to Fultz.
Meanwhile, the $200 million expansion of McCain’s potato processing plant in Burley, Idaho, is expected to be completed and ready for operation late this summer.
