For 10 years, building a potato processing plant has been on Tom Rolfstad’s to-do list, and the Williston Economic Development director continues to follow up on it.
“I do think we’re on the right path,” Rolfstad said. “I think it’s worth pursuing. It would add so much diversity to the economic base of the entire Mon-Dak region.”
Twelve years ago, French fry potato processor JR Simplot looked seriously at the Mon-Dak region as a potential site, but instead went to Canada largely over currency exchange rates. Since then, the company’s heads have retired and have maintained contact with Rolfstad as mentors who believe in the Mon-Dak region and its future in the potato business.
Rolfstad has regularly visited national potato and food processing trade shows over the years as he hopes to remind key people in the industry the Mon-Dak region is interested in raising potatoes and is an ideal place to build a processing plant.
Preliminary plans involve a $100 million plant just west of Trenton, where it is centrally located in the region and has easy access to the BNSF Railway to ship finished products. It would be capable of employing a couple hundred people.
“I do think we’re on the right path,” Rolfstad said. “I think it’s worth pursuing. It would add so much diversity to the economic base of the entire Mon-Dak region.”
Twelve years ago, French fry potato processor JR Simplot looked seriously at the Mon-Dak region as a potential site, but instead went to Canada largely over currency exchange rates. Since then, the company’s heads have retired and have maintained contact with Rolfstad as mentors who believe in the Mon-Dak region and its future in the potato business.
Rolfstad has regularly visited national potato and food processing trade shows over the years as he hopes to remind key people in the industry the Mon-Dak region is interested in raising potatoes and is an ideal place to build a processing plant.
Preliminary plans involve a $100 million plant just west of Trenton, where it is centrally located in the region and has easy access to the BNSF Railway to ship finished products. It would be capable of employing a couple hundred people.
If we were to get a plant like this going, we could get 20 to 30 farmers to grow potatoes,” said Rolfstad.
