Old Dutch Expansion a Boon to Potato Growers

Winnipeg, Man.-based Old Dutch Foods Ltd. is expanding operations at its potato chip plant in Hartland, N.B.

According to Old Dutch president and CEO Steve Aanenson, steady demand and growth in market share prompted the move. The Hartland plant, which the company acquired in May 2006 when it took over Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods Inc., had been running at full capacity.

With a $15-million loan from the New Brunswick government, the company will add new equipment, a new packaging line and more warehouse space. The expansion will also double Old Dutch’s annual potato requirement from local farmers, as well as creating 40 full-time jobs and approximately 35 to 50 seasonal workers.

Aanenson says the move will increase company spending in the province by about $10 million per year on supplies and potatoes, and estimates that Old Dutch will require up to 35 million additional pounds of potatoes annually.

“From the value-added point of view, it’s going to double potato production in the area,” says New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham. “There’s 1,500 acres and several farmers who currently provide potatoes to this operation for chip stock, that’s going to double in size as well.”

Old Dutch manufactures tortilla chips, potato snacks, potato chips, popcorn, party mix, and extruded corn snacks, under the Old Dutch and Humpty Dumpty brands. The privately held company has has five manufacturing plants in Canada.