ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston will shut down the oldest of its potato processing lines in its Twin Falls factory, affecting up to 120 employees.
Employees were informed of the line closure Monday afternoon.
Marti DeMoss, communications manager for ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, confirmed the food processor will discontinue operations on one of the six production lines at the Twin Falls facility on or before Sept. 6.
She said the production line, which made french fries for retail and quick-serve restaurants such as McDonald’s, was outdated, and the recession had softened demand for the processor’s products.
“Between 110 and 120 employees will be affected by the line shutdown,” DeMoss said. “However, we expect to offer alternate employment on our other processing lines in Twin Falls to a majority of these employees.”
A cost-benefit analysis on the production line — the oldest in the plant — showed it didn’t make fiscal sense to upgrade the line. The equipment will be sold as scrap or used as replacement parts.
