Lamb Weston, the frozen potato titan with french fry factories in Hermiston and Boardman, is on track to spin off from ConAgra Foods later this fall to become its own independent and publicly traded company.

The move was originally announced by ConAgra officials in November 2015, and a registration statement for Lamb Weston Holdings was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in July.

A spokeswoman said the separation will not affect any of the local manufacturing facilities. Lamb Weston employs more than 1,500 people in Oregon.

In 2014, Lamb Weston expanded its operations at the Port of Morrow by opening a new 192,000-square-foot plant with the capacity to make 1 million pounds of fries every day. Corporate offices are located in nearby Kennewick, Washington, and Boise.

ConAgra Foods, based in Chicago, is the largest packaged food company in North America. It purchased Lamb Weston in 1988, but decided they could benefit more as two stand-alone companies.

“We are confident that this separation will best position each company to compete and win while creating compelling long-term value for shareholders and delivering benefits to employees, customers and other key stakeholders,” said ConAgra President and CEO Sean Connolly last year.

After the split, ConAgra will maintain most of their popular consumer brands, which include Marie Callender’s, Hunt’s, Slim Jim, P.F. Chang’s, Chef Boyardee and Orville Redenbacher’s. Lamb Weston’s portfolio will focus on frozen potato, sweet potato, appetizer and other vegetable products. Stockholders will own shares of both independent companies.

“We carefully considered a variety of strategic alternatives, and believe that the separation of our Lamb Weston specialty potato business from our consumer brands business is the best way to drive shareholder value,” Connolly said.

The Tri-City Herald reports Lamb Weston will make its first appearance as an independent company at an investor briefing in New York City in October. Lamb Weston generated $2.9 billion in sales in 2015.

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Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825.