Lamb Weston closes Connell factory

Lamb Weston is permanently closing its potato processing plant in Connell, impacting its local workforce of around 375 people.

Lamb Weston said production ended on September 30 and work to permanently close the plant has already begun. Workers at the Connell plant produced a variety of french fries and other frozen potato products.

The company says employees are encouraged and supported to apply for roles at other locations in Lamb Weston. Job fairs in Kennewick and other locations will be announced in the coming weeks.

There were also job cuts elsewhere in the company. Lamb Weston said the total job cuts represent approximately 4% of Lamb Weston's global workforce of approximately 10,700 employees.

In a press release, Tom Werner, CEO of Lamb Weston, said: “A supply-demand imbalance in North America and a persistent inflationary environment necessitate these difficult steps. We take any job reductions very seriously and understand the impact these decisions have on employees and the communities.” We have been careful to provide transparency and support during the transition, and we thank all of our talented team members and the Connell community for their long-standing partnership Breeders and agricultural network.”