ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Kennewick, Ga., completed the expansion of its frozen potato facility in Boardman, Ore. The $200 million investment announced in 2012 adds a new processing line to the plant, increasing capacity for making French fries and other frozen potato products, and adds more than 100 jobs.

“We appreciate the efforts and support of all our community partners,” says Greg Schlafer, president. “The completion of our new production line allows us to expand the outstanding work our employees do every day to make great tasting French fries from the high-quality potatoes grown throughout the region. We can continue to build upon the strong relationships we have with our customers while meeting their growing needs. And, we can expand the reach of foods grown and prepared in the Columbia River Basin beyond our shores.”

The 192,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art addition further enhances Lamb Weston’s flexibility to make many different varieties of frozen potato and other vegetable products. The addition gives Lamb Weston five production lines in two plants in Boardman and increases capacity by an estimated 300 million pounds annually. Additionally, easy access to Port of Morrow supports Lamb Weston’s domestic and international growth plans.

The existing Boardman facility is EPA ENERGY STAR-certified, as a result of employee efforts to reduce energy, reuse water and increase recycling. The expansion was built with technology and sustainable construction techniques pioneered at Lamb Weston’s Delhi, La., sweet potato operation, which is LEED platinum certified.