Mainebiz

V o l . X X I N o. I I I F e b r ua r y 9 , 2 0 1 5 14 O n a recent vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Aroostook potato farmer Brent Grass sat down with his family at one of the resort's restaurants and noticed mashed potatoes were on the menu. He sent a message to Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes, the Mars Hill company that buys roughly one-fifth of the potatoes he and his brother grow on their B.D. Grass & Sons farm in Blaine. Figuring it would be a great market to tap, Grass made what he hoped would be a helpful suggestion: "You guys need to get your mashed potatoes down here." e reply came back: "We're already there." Grass, who with his brother Neil took over the family's potato farm when their father died suddenly in 1997, says he relishes telling that story because it illustrates how Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes' rapid growth — which spurred a $7.5 million expansion in 2014 — is expanding opportunities for Aroostook potato growers as well. "ey've infiltrated markets all across the country," Grass says of Naturally Potatoes. Its mashed potatoes are served in Applebee's, Logan's Roadhouse, 99 Restaurant & Pub, O'Charley's, Pizzeria Uno and Famous Dave's. Packaged mashed potatoes bearing the Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes brand are sold in supermarkets like Publix, Hannaford, Market Basket, Shop Rite and Big Y. Rodney McCrum, president and chief operating officer of Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes, says he is dedicated to growing the company he started with a Rodney McCrum, president and chief operating officer at Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes, with his daughter, Haley McCrum Kelley, who is vice president of marketing and sales. The company had sales of $35 million in 2014. p h o t o / Ja M e s M C C a r t h y Finding value in potatoes Naturally Potatoes' growth gives hope for Aroostook's farms B y J a m e s m c c a R t h y pineland Farms naturally potatoes 115 Presque Isle Road, Mars Hill Owner: Pineland Farms Inc. Founded: 1995; production plant opened in 1997 President and chief operating officer: Rodney McCrum Employees: 135 Sales: $35 million in 2014 Contact: (207) 429-8126 www.naturallypotatoes.com pineland Farms naturally potatoes' sales figures s o u r C e : Pineland Farms $0M $5M $10M $15M $20M $25M $30M $35M 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

• Cover