Canada-based McCain Foods has announced it will invest more than $200 million into expanding its Burley, Idaho, potato processing plant, creating 180 new jobs.
We are going to be showcasing what Idaho has to offer on a global scale, and that could mean big business for our economy.” - Idaho Lt. Governor Brad Little
Boise, Idaho (PRWEB) June 16, 2017
One of President Trump’s priorities is to bring jobs back to rural America, and Idaho is betting that foreign direct investment may be the answer. Idaho will bring 27 economic development leaders including Lt. Governor Brad Little and U.S. Senator Jim Risch to the 2017 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C., June 18-20 to meet with international companies. A second-year Diamond sponsor with one of the largest, most prominent booths, 2017 marks the fourth year that Idaho has attended SelectUSA.
“Any time that Idaho has the opportunity to engage with several high-profile international companies and investors who are interested in investing capital and creating better jobs in Idaho, we simply can’t pass that up. We are going to be showcasing what Idaho has to offer on a global scale, and that could mean big business for our economy,” said Lt. Governor Brad Little, who is speaking about rural economic development at the pre-summit academy on June 18. “We have an incredible team representing the State of Idaho, and I’m very optimistic that we will have another successful year following last year’s win in bringing Japan’s Sakae Casting to Idaho Falls.”
Idaho has already had significant success attracting international investment.
Last month, Toronto, Canada-based McCain Foods announced a $200 million expansion of its state-of-the-art, high capacity production facility in Burley, Idaho, that is estimated to create over 180 jobs. Idaho won out over Canada for this significant expansion.
“We reviewed all of our North America sites and narrowed the potential for expansion to a handful that could best help us meet the growing demand for McCain products,” said Jeff DeLapp, North America Regional President, McCain Foods. “In the end, we chose Burley, Idaho, due to its proximity to quality potatoes, availability of skilled workforce, and strong community and state-level support.”
Tokyo-based Sakae Casting, an aluminum casting company, celebrated the grand opening of its first U.S. location in Idaho Falls last month after meeting with the Idaho team at SelectUSA 2016.
"It is my mission to create job opportunities in Eastern Idaho to support their strong science, research and education sectors,” said Mr. Takashi Suzuki, President and CEO, Sakae Casting. “Additional employment opportunities will be created as we expand our business by working with our Japanese partner Ohzen to connect Japanese services and technologies with U.S. markets. We’re excited to have our first U.S. presence in Eastern Idaho.”
Additionally, France-based Materne Industries’ $85 million food processing facility and Ireland-based Glanbia Foods’ $82 million expansion are both industry leaders in the Idaho food sector. Other international companies expanding in Idaho include Lactalis (France), Bayer (Germany), and GrainCorp (Australia). International companies with a major presence in the state include Chobani, HP, Micron, Simplot, Boise Cascade, and Scentsy.
The Idaho team, detailed below, is available to speak with media from booth #311:
- Lt. Governor Brad Little, who is speaking on a rural economic development panel at SelectUSA
- Idaho U.S. Senator Jim Risch, who serves on the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
- Jan Rogers, CEO, Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho, and board member of the U.S. Investment Advisory Council and the International Economic Development Council
- Kelly Anthon, Idaho State Senator and City of Rupert Administrator
- Doug Manning, Economic Development Director, City of Burley, and President, Idaho Economic Development Association
- Celia Gould, Director, Idaho Department of Agriculture
- Bobbi-Jo Meuleman, COO, Idaho Commerce
- Amy Lientz, Director Partnerships, Engagement and Technology Deployment, Idaho National Laboratory
- Mayors of Twin Falls, Ammon and Pocatello, Idaho
- Economic development leaders and representatives from Southern Idaho, Eastern Idaho, Idaho Commerce, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, and Idaho Power.
About Idaho’s Business Climate
Home to expanding companies from France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Australia and Canada, Idaho’s growing sectors include agribusiness, plastics, science, research and advanced manufacturing. The Idaho National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s complex of national labs, is the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development and employs over 4,000. With almost 12 million acres of farmland and nearly 25,000 farms and ranches, Idaho’s natural resources make it ideal for agriculture and food manufacturers.
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