RDO-Calbee plant expansion on schedule at Port of Morrow

Published 10:09 am Saturday, February 19, 2011

RDO-Calbee Foods is adding another production line, which will more than double its production capacity.

President Gene Jensen said this week the construction project is on schedule. The company plans to have the new line producing for sales to Asia in October.

The equipment is being built at the vendors factories now and is scheduled for installation starting in July, he said.

 Initial startup will mean the company will add about 10 new operator positions.

These new positions will be filled in August, Jensen said. This allows appropriate training time and the opportunity for the RCF employees to participate in the engineering test runs prior to commissioning in October.

The potato-processing plans intends to hire two more mechanics even sooner. Production mechanics with ammonia refrigeration experience could start as early as April, he said.

Prospective workers may apply for these positions at the RDO-Calbee Foods facility, 72600 Lewis & Clark Drive, Boardman, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

RDO-Calbee Foods is jointly owned by R.D. Offutt Co. and Calbee Foods Co. of Japan. All of the companys potato dough production is shipped to Calbee Food plants or company affiliates in Asia for manufacturing salty snacks. Jagabee is the brand name of the Calbee snack food sold in Asian markets.

Meanwhile, Japanese snack food maker Calbee Inc. aims to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in March to raise funds to help it expand overseas, the Nikkei business daily reported.

The stock exchange is expected to approve the plan as early as the end of February, and Daiwa Securities is expected to underwrite the initial public offering, which is likely to raise at least several billion yen, the Nikkei stated. At the current exchange rate, ¥1 billion equals $12 million.

A Calbee spokesman said the firm has been looking into becoming a public company for about two years.