ConAgra Foods, Inc., Omaha, Neb., celebrated the grand opening of its Lamb Weston potato processing facility in Shangdu, Inner Mongolia, the company’s first plant in China. ConAgra Foods acquired the facility in July when it purchased TaiMei Potato Industries Ltd. The acquisition was part of ConAgra Foods’ strategy to grow its international business.  

The facility expands Lamb Weston’s operations in a market that has growing demand for frozen potato products. Lamb Weston makes a variety of frozen potato, sweet potato and other vegetable products for restaurants, retailers and foodservice operators in more than 100 countries around the world, and has been doing business in China and throughout Asia for more than 25 years.

The plant is located in one of the largest potato growing regions in China 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 make frozen French fries for quick-service restaurant and foodservice customers. The facility also produces potato flakes.

Since acquiring TaiMei, ConAgra Foods has invested in updates to the facility 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 Oct. 31.

“This is a big day for ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston and our business in China,” says Greg Schlafer, president, 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.”