McCain Foods announced an agreement to acquire Penobscot McCrum LLC, a Maine-based company that produces frozen potato products. The move is expected to strengthen McCain’s North American operations and position as a top potato product supplier.
McCain, which is headquartered in Toronto and delivers prepared potato products on a global scale, has had a presence in the Maine potato industry since 1976 when it acquired its Easton, Maine processing facility. The company is expanding its footprint with the addition of McCrum’s potato processing facility in Washburn, Maine, along with its roughly 130 employees. McCrum’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer will support the transition.
The highly automated Washburn plant was built in 2020, and McCain anticipates it will complement the capacity of its Easton facility, while also enabling modernization, optimized processing and cost reduction. The McCrum farming operation will continue to be independently owned, but it will have a long-term potato supply agreement with McCain.
“As family-owned companies dedicated to producing foods families love, there is a lot of synergy between McCain and McCrum. We share a strong commitment to integrity, sustainability and the highest-quality standards. 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 Foods’ Howard Snape said in a statement.
