Frito-Lay seeks $585,000 break on water bills

Frito-Lay is asking Vancouver for $585,000 in water bill credits over three years, which the company says will help it make $15 million to $25 million in investments at its Fruit Valley plant. [This is Vancouver in Washington, US, not in British Columbia, Canada]

The company wants to install automation and water efficiency measures that will help it keep competitive in today’s snack-making environment, Alisa Pyszka, Vancouver business development director, told the city council Monday.

But the deal outlines a complex chain of cause-and-effect: city leaders don’t dispute that installing automatic packaging equipment at Frito-Lay would cause layoffs at the 500-employee plant. However, without the equipment, the plant claims it will lose its competitive edge and possibly close, eliminating all the jobs there.

“That’s the way it is with manufacturing, if you want to be successful and stay in the business,” Pyszka said. “It’s about keeping them sustainable.”

The Frito-Lay plant, at 4808 Fruit Valley Road, makes Doritos, potato chips, Cheetos and popcorn, going through 6,000 pounds of Washington and Oregon potatoes an hour, she said.