McCain Foods acquiring longtime Maine potato supplier

McCain Foods will acquire frozen potato specialty product supplier Penobscot McCrum, which has farmed potatoes in Aroostook County for five generations, in a deal that includes McCrum’s potato processing facility in Washburn, Maine.

The McCrum farming operation will remain independently owned and will enter a long-term potato supply agreement with McCain, according to a news release. All of the approximately 130 employees at the Washburn facility will join McCain.

Built in 2020, the McCrum processing facility in Washburn is a state-of-the-art automated plant and will add capacity to McCain’s Easton processing facility, which the Toronto-headquartered potato giant acquired in 1976.

“We share a strong commitment to integrity, sustainability, and the highest-quality standards,” Howard Snape, McCain Foods regional president, North America said in the release. “Both companies enjoy strong relationships with local farmers, and all of that will continue. On the ground, we expect this transition to be seamless for the newest additions to the McCain team and the McCrum farmers who grow potatoes for us.”

McCain said the acquisition, subject to closing conditions, will advance innovation, bolster logistics and enhance customer service while helping drive modernization, lower costs and optimized processing.

“This is a natural next step for the long-standing partnership between our farming operations and McCain Foods,” Jay McCrum, Penobscot McCrum owner and CEO, said. “We know McCain. We know their values. We have every confidence they will build on our family’s legacy while allowing us to continue to grow in agriculture, just as we have for more than five generations.”

Founded in 1957 in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada, McCain’s frozen potato products can be found in restaurants and retail stores in more than 160 countries. The company employs approximately 22,000 people and operates 49 production facilities on six continents.