Agribusiness entrepreneur Frank Tiegs is expanding his Northwest food processing empire with the planned purchase of most of the assets of the NORPAC farmers' cooperative for about $149.5 million, the Capital Press reported. The transaction is expected to close in October as part of NORPAC’s chapter 11 filing, which will allow the company to remain operational while restructuring debt. Tiegs, whose Oregon Potato Co. is acquiring NORPAC, said that he was drawn to buy the processor due to the “premium” green beans grown in the Willamette Valley, as well as the broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, squash and other crops produced in the region. The purchase will include NORPAC’s Oregon facilities in Brooks and Salem as well as its plant in Quincy, Wash. More than 140 farmer members own the NORPAC cooperative, which was founded in 1924 and is the biggest frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturer in the Northwest with about $310 million in annual sales. The company contracts with 220 growers across more than 40,000 acres in the region and has about 1,125 full-time employees and 1,100 seasonal employees during peak harvest season.
