Lamb Weston has requested demolition permits for its Connell French Fry processing plant closed in October

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. is moving to tear down its french fry plant in Connell, dashing local hopes that another company might take it over and bring fresh industry and jobs to the small city. Connell Mayor Lee Barrow confirmed Lamb Weston, based in Eagle, Idaho, applied for demolition permits for the plant and its retention ponds. He said weigh scales, a warehouse and nearby cold storage facilities at the Eastern Washington site aren’t affected.

Lamb Weston shocked the north Franklin County city of about 5,500 on Oct. 1 when it announced it was permanently closing the plant. It cited falling demand in North America and said the plant’s age was a factor in considering it for closure. The day before the announcement, it stopped processing potatoes there. Lamb Weston indicated it intended to tear the Connell plant down at the time.

Nearly 400 workers lost their jobs but were encouraged to consider posts at other regional company facilities. The community has rallied with job fairs and other assistance. The North Franklin School District highlighted its job openings and even staged a school bus in the middle of town to advertise driver jobs.

Major private employer

Lamb Weston is one of the Mid-Columbia’s largest private employers. It had roughly 3,000 employees in its corporate, research and production facilities on both sides of the Washington-Oregon border. It remains a major customer for Washington-grown potatoes, which it processes into frozen french fries at more than a dozen facilities for customers such as McDonald’s.

But the loss was a blow to Connell, which learned of the shutdown just moments before it was announced to workers and released to the public as part of a quarterly earnings announcement. The plant is both a major employer and accounted for about 30% of Connell’s utility revenue. City officials ripped up their proposed 2025 budget and recently adopted a new one that reflects the new reality — a hiring freeze and delaying a $1.7 million well project.

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. has applied for permits to demolish its processing plant in Connell. It closed the plant in October and aid off nearly 400 workers.

Without Lamb Weston, the project isn’t needed. Barrow said the city is still assessing the fallout.

Lee Barrow:

"I don’t think we’ll know the full impact until 2025."

While he was disappointed Lamb Weston wants to demolish the local plant, Barrow and the city are focused on a longer-term solution to its missing factory — identifying industries that might be interested in expanding to the city which is about 35 miles north of Pasco on Highway 395.

Lee Barrow is mayor of Connell, a town of about 5,000 located about 35 miles north of Pasco in Franklin County. The community recently learned of the pending closure of the town’s Lamb Weston processing plant and resulting loss of about 400 jobs.

Economic revitalization grant Its economic development partner, the Port of Pasco, followed through on its earlier promise to pursue a state grant to assess potential new industry this week. The port’s commission voted to apply for a $100,000 grant from the state Community Economic Revitalization Board to create an industrial site readiness plan. The CERB board will consider the request at its Jan. 16 meeting. The port plans to use the money to hire a consultant to evaluate potential industrial sites — and industries — with the work expected to be finished by December.

Randy Hayden, its executive director, shared the Connell mayor’s frustration that Lamb Weston is pressing plans to remove the facility. Finding a new operator would have been the speediest way to fill the hole Lamb Weston left in Connell. Commissioner Jim Klindworth, who retires from the port this month after nearly 40 years on the elected board, lamented leaving at a critical juncture for the town he long represented.

Jim Klindworth:

"I’ve had a slightly guilty conscience."

Dec. 9, when he was honored for his enduring contributions, including wooing Lamb Weston to Connell in the first place. But, he noted, Lamb Weston isn’t the only major employer in town. The Washington Department of Corrections operates the 2,500-bed Coyote Ridge Corrections Center on the north side of town. 

But, he noted, Lamb Weston isn’t the only major employer in town. The Washington Department of Corrections operates the 2,500-bed Coyote Ridge Corrections Center on the north side of town.

Jim Klindworth:

"Thank God they’ve got the payroll at the prison to keep things rolling."