McCain Foods announces construction to resume on Othello expansion
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 6 months AGO
The McCain Foods plant in Othello will resume its expansion early in October, according to company officials.
Courtesy photo
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | October 2, 2020 1:00 AM
OTHELLO — Construction is scheduled to restart in early October on the expansion of the McCain Foods potato processing facility in Othello.
Company officials announced the restart of construction in a Sept. 29 press release. Construction stopped in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the press release said.
Othello mayor Shawn Logan said the announcement was good news. The pandemic temporarily suspended business at restaurants worldwide, which meant major disruption to the processed potato business. What Logan called “the clouds of uncertainty” discombobulated the plans of processors and potato growers alike.
The company’s Othello facility employs more than 450 people, according to the McCain press release. The company also contracts with local potato growers for supply. As a result McCain plays an important role in Othello’s economy. “We’re all kind of tied together,” Logan said.
The expansion will add 170,000 square feet to the existing facility and will house lines for processing frozen potato products. The expansion could start production by the end of 2021, Logan said.
Paolo Picchi, regional president of the Americas for McCain Foods, said the facility will require potatoes from about 11.000 additional acres of production, which will be sourced locally. The expanded line will add about 180 jobs, Picchi said.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.