McCain Foods expansion celebrated with groundbreaking

OTHELLO — The ongoing project to expand a longtime Othello business was commemorated by McCain Foods owners, along with Othello and Adams County officials Tuesday morning. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site on Lee Road in Othello.

The expansion to the frozen potato products line will add about 170,000 square feet, said Othello mayor Shawn Logan. The project will cost about $300 million and is scheduled for completion in 2021.

Construction on the site is already underway, and plenty of earth was being moved in the background as McCain officials, along with city and county officials, posed with the gold-painted shovels. The project is estimated to bring about 180 new jobs to Othello.

“Today is a pretty exciting event,” said Mark Schmaus, manager of the Othello plant. The company has operated a facility in Othello for about 30 years, Schmaus said, and “I think we just punched our ticket for another 30, 40 years.”

Dale McCarthy, McCain Foods, said Othello’s proximity to West Coast shipping makes it a crucial location for the company. “Othello is very strategic for us.”

And the company may not be done expanding its business. “I don’t think we’re done yet,” McCarthy said. “Don’t be surprised if we come back.”

When the facility is completed it will be the biggest manufacturer of frozen potato products in the world, said Dale Latham, executive director of the potato producers trade association. Schmaus praised the company’s employees and farmers that provide the raw materials. “These folks and this entire team love to cook French fries. And they’re good at it.”

“We will see great economic benefits for this community for years to come,” Logan said. He said he’s already looking forward to attending the facility’s opening in 2021.

“I think there’s much more to come,” McCarthy said. “We’re setting this up for the future.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com