Lamb Weston closes Connell plant, nearly 400 workers laid off [Video]

CONNELL, Wash. – Worldwide potato, vegetable and appetizer supplier Lamb Weston announced on Tuesday that its potato processing plant in Connell is permanently closing, laying off 375 employees.

The laid off employees in Connell, along with the cutting of some jobs in other places, accounted for 4 percent of its 10,700 employees.

Lamb Weston CEO Tom Werner said in a press release that the closure is due to “a supply and demand imbalance in North America and an ongoing inflationary environment.”

The Connell plant, which produced a variety of fries and other frozen potato products, officially closed on Sept. 30.

“We take very seriously any job elimination and understand the impact these decisions have on employees and the communities in which they live,” said Werner. “We have taken care to provide transparency and support in transition, and we thank all of our talented team members and the community of Connell …