McCain Foods has entered into an agreement to acquire Washburn, Maine-based Penobscot McCrum LLC, a supplier of frozen potato specialty products. Finalizing the transaction, terms of which were not disclosed, is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
The deal includes McCrum’s potato processing facility in Washburn, while McCrum’s farming operation will remain independently owned and enter a long-term potato supply agreement with McCain. All of the approximately 130 employees at the Washburn facility will join McCain, with McCrum’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer supporting the transition.
McCain, headquartered in Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick, Canada, has been part of Maine’s potato industry for nearly 50 years. Having acquired its Easton processing plant in the state during 1976, it has worked alongside local growers ever since.
Built in 2020, the McCrum facility in Washburn is a state-of-the-art and highly automated factory, adding capacity to complement McCain’s Easton facility, supporting local employment and regional supply resilience.
The American Northeast is an important agricultural hub, and an area where McCrum has a proud legacy, providing a strong foundation for continued growth and further investment in local farmers that will bring more Maine-grown potato products to tables across the USA.
As family-owned companies dedicated to producing foods families love, there is a lot of synergy between McCain and McCrum,” said Howard Snape, regional president of McCain Foods in North America. “We share a strong commitment to integrity, sustainability and the highest-quality standards. Both companies enjoy strong relationships with local farmers, and all of that will continue. On the ground, we expect this transition to be seamless for the newest additions to the McCain team and the McCrum farmers who grow potatoes for us.”
The acquisition will further support McCain’s position as a leader in the supply of North American potato products, advancing innovation, strengthening transportation logistics, and enhancing customer service. Incorporating McCrum’s state-of-the-art processing facility will also provide flexibility to pursue modernization, lower costs, optimize processing and better serve McCain’s customer base.
“This is a natural next step for the long-standing partnership between our farming operations and McCain Foods,” said Jay McCrum, owner and chief executive officer of Penobscot McCrum. “We know McCain. We know their values. We have every confidence they will build on our family’s legacy while allowing us to continue to grow in agriculture, just as we have for more than five generations.”
