Connell can thrive again after plant closure, but the path forward will be difficult | Editorial

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. is putting the city of Connell through the sort of economic trauma that can devastate a community for years or even decades.

City leaders have not given up hope, though, and residents should not either. Even so, they could use some help from the state.

Lamb Weston, based in Eagle, Idaho, delivered a double whammy to Connell over the past few months.

First, on Oct. 1, it announced that it would permanently close its plant in Connell. The company made frozen french-fries there.

Nearly 400 employees were out of a job unless they were hired at one of the company’s other facilities in the region, which could require, for many, a much longer commute or a move.

Second, the company revealed that it plans to tear down the facility. It has applied for demolition permits for the plant and its retention ponds. At least a warehouse and nearby cold storage facilities will survive for now.

It’s hard to understate the impact of all this on the community. Connell is a small city with a population of about 5,500. The plant has been a cornerstone of the economy, not just employing hundreds but also supporting transportation services and local retailers.

With its closure, workers face an uncertain future and must navigate a challenging job market that might not provide equivalent opportunities, especially locally. The loss of wages and benefits will ripple through the community, affecting families, the local tax base, public services and other businesses.

Demolition makes the situation more challenging. A vacant plant is a marketable asset that could help lure a new company willing to retrofit it for its own products. Building new is much more expensive.

It’s not fair to demand that a company keep a facility open that no longer fits with its business strategy. Company officials said that falling demand for french fries and the plant’s age contributed to the decision. The company remains a major regional employer.

Employees and the community received no warning about the shutdown and no opportunity to work with Lamb Weston to find an alternative. With some advance notice, workers and the community might have mitigated some of the worst impacts.

Transparency and communication are essential in situations like this, and their absence exacerbates the social and economic toll. Connell and the workers deserved better.

After the shutdown, the community rallied. People organized a job fair. They started a toy drive to help families during the holidays. They’ve reached out to neighbors with support. Connell is that sort of town. People know each other, and they look out for each other.

Connell likely will not go the way of all-but-abandoned steel towns in rural Pennsylvania and Ohio. It still has the nearby Coyote Ridge Corrections center, which employs many residents from around the region. The city also is only about 35 miles north of Pasco via Highway 395.

City and county leaders already are looking for ways to help impacted families and to somehow replace a major employer and taxpayer. Residents should be heartened to hear that they are not dwelling so much on the loss that they have lost sight of the future.

Connell could use some help from the state, though. The Port of Pasco is applying for a $100,000 grant from the Community Economic Revitalization Board to create an industrial site readiness plan so that when an opportunity comes, the city can seize it. The board should award that grant.

Meanwhile, when Bob Ferguson takes office as governor next month, he should direct his administration to look for ways to assist Connell.

That might come in the form of additional financial and job-training aid, but perhaps more valuable will be talking up Connell with all of the big business bigwigs who will seek to curry his favor. “Have you heard about the great opportunity in Connell?”

With thoughtful planning, collaboration and investment, Connell can recover and thrive again.