Argentina (Mar del Plata): How a multi-million dollar investment in a potato industry was decided against the winds

The Lamb Weston story began in 1950, in the agricultural heart of Oregon, USA. Gilbert (Gib) Lamb, a producer who didn’t conform to the established norm, devised a water-jet cutting system that would forever change the way potatoes were processed.

That seemingly simple innovation opened the door to something bigger: thinking of the potato not just as a crop, but as a food capable of transcending borders and reaching millions of tables around the world with the same flavor, quality, and consistency.

From that vision, Lamb Weston was born. Over the course of 75 years, we’ve become a global player in the frozen potato industry, with operations on every continent and a network of plants that share a common purpose: taking tasty potatoes of the highest quality and turning them into products that enhance everyday moments in the lives of millions of people.

For decades, we’ve learned to see the potential in every potato. We innovate in processes, technology, and formats, with a clear objective: to offer reliable, consistent products ready to meet the needs of food service operators, distributors, and consumers in every market.

From the classic potatoes everyone recognizes to specialty cuts like grilled potatoes or potatoes with skin, what we offer is more than a product: it’s the sum of knowledge, investment, and a global network of people committed to consistently delivering the same quality experience.

Latin America today represents one of the fastest-growing areas for our category.

The region combines culinary tradition, cultural diversity, and a development potential that is still under construction.

To understand the opportunity: in Argentina, per capita consumption of frozen potatoes is just 8 kilos per year, compared to 70 kilos in more developed markets. The difference isn’t a limit, but rather an invitation to grow. We want to rise to this challenge.

That’s why we chose Argentina as the base for our expansion in the region. There, we built the largest and most modern frozen potato processing plant in Latin America: one of the largest investments in the country in decades, equipped with cutting-edge technology and capable of supplying both the local market and the entire region.

Many people ask me: Why Argentina? And my answer is always: Why not?

The simplest answer would be: because it has a quality potato comparable to the best in the world.

However, there are many more reasons why Lamb Weston chose this country as its regional headquarters.

We understand resilience, headwinds, and tailwinds. We know how to capitalize on the context and transform challenges into opportunities. We have great local talent, with the passion and commitment that, beyond training, are capable of turning any goal into the dream of achieving extraordinary things.

In Latin America, we can turn any game around. We know how to work as a team, we know how to take care of each other, and we know how to enjoy the journey.

We are fortunate and privileged to have this investment and the challenge of building a great company in the region.

We also have the responsibility to feed the world from our country, with all that entails.

Here we are, ready to build something great and enjoy every step of the way.

The new plant is not just an industrial project. It is a long-term commitment that impacts the entire value chain: it generates direct and indirect employment, strengthens local agricultural development, expands the country’s export capacity, and consolidates a strategic supply hub for the region.

If anything has defined us since 1950, it’s our ability to innovate and make path-breaking decisions. What began with a visionary producer in Oregon is now taking shape in Mar del Plata, with a plant that reflects not only a milestone in our history, but also a concrete commitment to the future of Latin America.

Because in every potato we process, in every cut that reaches a consumer’s table, there is a conviction that has guided us for 75 years. At Lamb Weston, we have been seeing possibilities in potatoes for 75 years.