McCain Foods celebrates anniversary with expansion

McCain Foods facility in Portage la Prairie, Man. celebrated the 40th anniversary and officially opened its new potato receiving area at the potato processing facility.

The potato receiving area expansion was part of a multi-year $45 million capital investment commitment made by McCain to the facility. The expansion now allows the Portage la Prairie facility to receive additional potatoes from local growers in a more time-efficient manner, as well as an allowance for additional holding capacity, a new cleaning line and a new refreshment break area.

“As we celebrate both the opening of the potato receiving area and 40 years of continued operation at the McCain Portage la Prairie facility, we want to express the ongoing importance of the foundational relationships we share with our employees and growers in the Portage la Prairie community, some who have been with us all 40 years,” said Danielle Barran, president of McCain Foods Canada.

Manitoba growers annually plant about 26,000 hectares of potatoes, which represents about one-fifth of Canada’s total potato crop.

Additional capital investments made by McCain to the Portage la Prairie facility from 2016 to 2019 include: the installation of a new high efficiency potato sorting system; cutting-edge processing and packaging equipment; new onsite waste water treatment systems; and, upgrades to the facility’s heating, freezing and refrigeration systems.