Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Despite the dismal state of the Nations economy, the Loring Development Authority (LDA) continues striving to bring new businesses to the area. Many prospects are currently in the workings at the LDA, one of which is the possibility of bringing in a potato processing plant to Loring. Though preparations have been years in the making, a potato processing plant for Loring is still in the hopeful stages of planning.
“Within the past three or four months, Lamb Weston has had a renewed interesting in possibly developing a potato processing plant in Loring,” said President and CEO of the LDA Carl Flora, “they’ve been taking a level look at our facilities and refreshing their due diligence; we’re hopeful that they’ll reach the decision that they need to build a pant here,” Flora added.
ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston is the largest processor of potatoes in North America and serves both foodservice and retail industries.
Lamb Weston first started looking toward Loring back in 2000 as a potential site for a potato processing plant.
“Lamb Weston and McCain’s compete everywhere, but Lamb Weston does not have a presence in the east while McCain’s does,” explained Flora, “they strategically became interested in locating a plant on the east coast and back in 2000, they were trying to figure out how and where they could simply build a plant; Loring ended up being one of several sights that they considered.”
“It became serious to the point that Lamb Weston actually purchased an option on a piece of property at Loring,” Flora added, “while they held that option, they did a lot of the due diligence that a large company like Lamb Weston needs to do; major issues they looked into were the supply of water for processing potatoes, energy costs, the availability of thermal steam and thermal energy, and the waste water situation. Wastewater is a big factor because Lamb Weston would have to find a way to treat the waste and clean it up before it can be discharged into a stream or river.”
Whereas things looked good in 2000, 2001 changed everything.
“There’s a big coloration between travel and the hospitality industry with French fry consumption,” said Flora, “after we experienced 9/11 back in 2001, there was a decrease in travel; Dr. Adkins diet was also popular back then, and mad cow disease was an additional negative factor because Europe and Asia were the places where the market was expanding the most for Lamb Weston. People weren’t going to fast food outlets in Europe and Asia due to mad-cow disease, so they weren’t buying French fries,” Flora explained, “these three things combined drastically slowed the demand for French fries, and Lamb Weston decided that it wasn’t an optimal time to open a new plant.”
The possible benefits to bringing a potato processing plant to Loring are significant and numerous.
“It would have a very great impact on local agriculture,” said Flora, “it would create a second market for processed potatoes; the extra demand would translate into more acreage of potato production and the possibility that land which previously had been taken out of production might be productive once more,” he added, “it would be a great development for the potato industry.”
