Pasco Will Host New Simplot Plant

Tue., Jan. 24, 1995

From Staff And Wire Reports

A $32 million frozen vegetable processing and storage complex and a $3 million hay cubing facility will open this year in Pasco.

Boise-based J.R. Simplot Co. in July will begin processing vegetables in a 160,000-square-foot plant at the Port of Pasco’s Processing Center. The plant will employ 25 to 30 full-time employees, swelling to 250 during the summer season.

Bulk containers of carrots, asparagus, corn and peas will be shipped to Simplot repackaging and distribution facilities in Quincy, Wash., Tennessee, Iowa and New York. First-year production is expected to be 100 million pounds.

An adjoining 80,000-square-foot freezer and cold-storage warehouse developed by Americold of Portland also will open.

Meanwhile, Zen-Noh Hay Inc., a subsidiary of Zen-Noh Tokyo, Japan’s largest farmers’ cooperative, in March will begin cubing hay for export to Zen-Noh’s 8.7 million farmers in Japan. The plant will annually process 40,000 to 60,000 tons of baled hay into cubes, valued at $5 million to $8 million.

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Pasco Will Host New Simplot Plant

Jesse Tinsley

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