US: Hermiston's ConAgra plant honors 40 years of fry-making
Each day, more than 500 employees at the Hermiston plant transform tons of locally grown potatoes into millions of pounds of french fries.
Neal Flyg, plant manager, said in a news release that the plant has expanded since it opened in 1972, increasing the amount produced and efficiency while also lowering environmental impact.
The Hermiston plant is one of seven Lamb Weston plants in the Columbia Basin. Each year, the Hermiston plant, along with the six others, process 11 billion potatoes from Columbia Basin fields. That's enough potatoes to fill 350 football fields 6 feet deep.
Lamb Weston, ConAgra Foods' largest brand, is the largest potato processor in Washington, and one of the largest global producers.
Davalee Gist, projects technician, remembers how the Hermiston plant started with three long production lines made up of up to 75 workers.
"Packaging was all done by hand, making the boxes, filling them, gluing them shut and palletizing them," Gist said in a news release.
Sally Kennedy, quality assurance evaluator, started working for the Hermiston plant at age 25.
"In my 40 years, I have seen us transform the way we make our fries," she said.
Fries like those made at the Hermiston plant can be eaten at many restaurants, and in a number of brands available at the grocery store. Alexia is Lamb Weston's premium retail brand. Lamb Weston's fries are available in 100 countries.
The Hermiston employees recently received a 2012 Sustainable Development Award from ConAgra Foods for efforts to manage water use. This year, employees reduced overall water use by 24 percent because of their comprehensive review of all plant water systems and piping and creation of a action plan to better manage water.
Part of the award was a $5,000 grant, which employees donated to the Future Farmers of America chapter at Hermiston High School.
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