, a privately owned company established in
1957 by the McCain brothers in
Florenceville ,
New Brunswick ,
Canada , is the world's largest producer of
French Fries and other oven-ready frozen foods.
McCain foods has 20,000 employees and 55 production facilities in 12 countries spanning six continents. It processes 1 million pounds of
Potato products each hour and sells one-third of the world's frozen French fries products, in over 110 countries.
- On May 24, 1956 McCain Foods Limited is incorporated.
- On February 23, 1957 the first McCain French fry plant officially opens in Florenceville , New Brunswick , Canada .
- In 1965 McCain products entered the British market.
- In 1968 McCain establishes a sales organization in Australia and McCain International Ltd. is established in the United Kingdom .
- In 1969 McCain Foods officially opens its first British French fry facility in Scarborough , England .
- In 1969 McCain enters the American market.
- In 1971 McCain acquires and expands a French fry plant in Daylesford , Australia. Also McCain begins production at their new Grand Falls , Canada location.
- In 1972 production capacity doubles at McCain’s Scarborough, England. Also McCain buys a French fry plant in Werkendam , Netherlands .
- In 1973 McCain buys a French fry plant in Lewedorp , Netherlands.
- In 1975 production begins at McCain’s new Ballarat , Australia plant. McCain also purchases a French fry plant in Washburn, USA .
- In 1976 McCain officially opens its French fry plant in Whittlesey , England. McCain acquires a French fry plant in Easton, USA. McCain starts pizza production at Grand Falls, New Brunswick and Daylesford, Australia.
- In 1978 McCain acquires a French fry plant in Hoofddorp , Netherlands. McCain completed major expansion of their prepared foods plant in Florenceville, Canada.
- In 1979 McCain opens new pizza facility in Scarborough, England and Ballarat , Australia. McCain completes a new French fry plant in Portage La Prairie , Canada.
- In 1980 McCain acquires a Sunny Orange Ltd. Juice plant in Toronto , Canada.
- In 1981 McCain opens a French fry plant in Harnes , France .
- In 1982 McCain buys a French fry plant in Grantham , England.
- In 1983 McCain opens a juice processing plant in Grand Falls, Canada.
- In 1984 McCain purchases a vegetable processing plant in Smithton , Australia, a Britfish Ltd. fish processing plant in Hull , England, and a Tater Meal Inc. potato-based animal foods plant in Presque Isle , USA.
- In 1986 McCain builds a $13M potato processing plant in Smithton, Australia. McCain purchases a major frozen food company in Ostend and Grobbendonk , Belgium .
- In 1987 McCain officially opens a juice plant in Calgary , Canada and a French fry manufacturing plant in Bethune , France.
- In 1988 McCain acquires potato processing plants in Othello and Clark , USA. McCain announces a $33M project to double production at the potato processing plant in Harnes, France. McCain also purchases assets Ellio’s Pizza in the US
- In 1989 McCain announces a $35M expansion for the potato processing plant in Othello, Washington, USA.
- In 1990 McCain acquires New Zealand Alpine Foods Ltd., a vegetable processor, in Timaru , New Zealand . A fire damages facilities in Florenceville, Canada and a $25M reconstruction plan immediately initiates. McCain begins construction of a $2.4M Group Data Centre in Florenceville, Canada.
- In 1991 McCain officially opens a potato processing plant in Borden-Carleton, PEI , Canada. McCain acquires the assets of Polder Food Products in Lelystad , Netherlands.
- In 1992 McCain acquires Safries Pty. Ltd. in Penola, Australia.
- In 1996 McCain opens a French fry plant in Balcarce, Argentina , the first fully automated French fry facility in South America. Everest Foods PLC of Wombourne, England and Growers Food Limited of Hastings , Australia is acquired by McCain.
- In 1997 McCain purchases Ore-Ida Foods for $500M in the US, which includes five production facilities.
- In 1998 McCain announces the construction of a $78.6M French fry plant in Wrocław , Poland . McCain officially opens a $41M expansion of its Lelystad, Netherlands French fry facility. McCain announces the construction of a $93.9M potato processing plant in Alberta , Canada.
- In 1999 McCain purchases the assets of Fraîcheur d’Europe of Vic-sur-Aisne, France. McCain announces it will double the production at Balcarce, Argentina in a $68.4M expansion.
- In 2000 McCain doubles production at its Easton, USA facility in a $70.8M expansion. McCain purchases a modern French fry plant and two frozen vegetable plants in South Africa . McCain purchases Aloro Foods Inc., a frozen pizza manufacturer, of Mississauga , Canada. McCain officially opens its new state-of-the-art French fry plant in Coaldale, Canada. McCain announces the construction of a $7.2M Potato Processing Technology Centre in Florenceville, Canada. McCain sells its citrus division to Pasco Beverage Group, Inc. of Tampa , Florida .
- In 2001 McCain acquires Heinz Frozen Foods (SA) (Pty.) Ltd. of Viljoenskroon , South Africa, Anchor Food Products in the U.S. , and the Feilding , New Zealand site and related frozen food service business from Heinz Wattie’s Australasia for $33M.
- In 2002 McCain acquires Goodman Fielder International (Taiwan) Limited, an ethnic Chinese frozen food company and Wing Wong Foods of Montreal , Canada, a manufacturer of Chinese entrées, egg rolls, and dim sum.
- In 2003 McCain acquires Belleisle Foods Limited of New Brunswick, Canada, a manufacturer of egg rolls and other Chinese frozen foods.
- In 2004 McCain upgrades its Grand Falls, Canada pizza plant in a $29M expansion. McCain begins construction of a $43M French fry facility in Harbin , China . McCain acquires Midwest Food Products Inc. of Manitoba , Canada.
