Six companies account for most of the world's frozen french fry capacity. This page compares them side by side on their own published figures: McCain Foods, Lamb Weston, J.R. Simplot (including Clarebout), Aviko, Agristo and Farm Frites. It is a factual comparison of ownership, size and reach, not a quality ranking. For profiles of each company and the wider field, see leading frozen french fry manufacturers.
How to read the numbers
Only Lamb Weston publishes audited results. McCain gives a rounded sales figure without a reporting period, Simplot does not publish revenue, and the three European companies' figures come from annual accounts as reported by trade press. Revenues are shown in each company's own currency and are not converted, because the periods and definitions differ.
01At a glance
Ownership, size and footprint
| Company | Ownership / HQ | Latest revenue | Plants | Employees | Reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCain Foods | Private, family-owned · Florenceville, Canada · est. 1957 | > C$16bn annual sales (Nov 2025, period not stated) | 49 production facilities, 6 continents | ~22,000 | 160+ countries |
| Lamb Weston | NYSE: LW · Eagle, Idaho, US · est. 1950 | $6.61bn net sales (FY2026, to 31 May 2026) | 25, in 8 countries | ~10,000 | Operations in 32 countries |
| J.R. Simplot | Private, family-owned since 1929 · Boise, Idaho, US | Not disclosed | 23 food production facilities (incl. 5 Clarebout sites) | 18,000+ (whole company) | Major operations in 9 countries |
| Aviko | Royal Cosun cooperative (~11,000 growers) · Netherlands · est. 1962 | €1.65bn net turnover (2025) | 12 locations (NL, BE, DE, PL, CN) | ~2,500 | 110+ countries |
| Agristo | Private, family-owned · Wielsbeke, Belgium · est. 1983 | €1.34bn turnover (latest filed accounts, reported Dec 2025) | 4 (BE, NL); US plant under construction | Not verified | Not verified |
| Farm Frites | Private, family business · Oudenhoorn, Netherlands · est. 1971 | €879m revenue (2025) | 5 production sites | 1,600+ | 100+ countries |
- > C$16bn
- McCain annual sales
- $6.61bn
- Lamb Weston, FY2026
- €1.65bn
- Aviko, 2025
- €1.34bn
- Agristo, latest accounts
On any measure the companies publish, McCain is the largest: roughly twice Lamb Weston's plant count and employee base. Lamb Weston is the only one whose numbers are audited and quarterly. Simplot is the hardest to size, since it reports neither revenue nor a potato-only plant count; its 18,000 employees also cover fertiliser, farming and other businesses. Among the European specialists, Aviko is the largest by turnover and potatoes processed (over 2 million tonnes a year), followed by Agristo and Farm Frites (over 1.5 million tonnes a year).
02Customers
Who supplies the quick-service chains
Supply contracts with restaurant chains are rarely published. These are the relationships on public record:
| Company | Disclosed foodservice relationship | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lamb Weston | McDonald's ~15% of net sales in FY2026 (15% FY2025, 14% FY2024); top ten customers ~50% of net sales | Lamb Weston 10-K |
| J.R. Simplot | Supplier of fries to McDonald's since a handshake deal with Ray Kroc, "to this day"; a main supplier to Arcos Dorados | Simplot; Arcos Dorados 20-F |
| McCain Foods | A main supplier to Arcos Dorados (largest McDonald's franchisee in Latin America); partnership with McDonald's Canada | Arcos Dorados 20-F; McCain |
| Aviko | Describes itself as Europe's largest producer of potato products for the out-of-home segment | Aviko |
| Agristo | No chain customers disclosed | — |
| Farm Frites | No chain customers disclosed; 48% of 2025 sales outside the EU | Boerenbusiness |
03Strategy
Recent moves, 2024–2026
| Company | Move | Date |
|---|---|---|
| McCain Foods | R$1.8bn expansion of its Araxá plant, Brazil | Oct 2025 |
| McCain Foods | Agreement to acquire Penobscot McCrum's Washburn, Maine plant | Nov 2025 |
| Lamb Weston | Announces intention to close Broekhuizenvorst plant, Netherlands (after closing Connell, WA in 2024 and announcing Munro, Argentina) | Jun 2026 |
| J.R. Simplot | Completes acquisition of Clarebout (five European sites) | Oct 2025 |
| Aviko | Takes full control of Eurofrits (Burgos, Spain) | Feb 2026 |
| Agristo | Breaks ground on first US plant, Grand Forks, North Dakota | Jul 2026 |
| Farm Frites | Builds plant at Dooen, Victoria, Australia; production due 2027 | Nov 2025 |
The pattern is capacity moving toward demand and toward cheaper raw material. The two North American leaders are expanding abroad (McCain in Brazil, Simplot in Europe) while Lamb Weston trims older plants to cut costs. The European specialists are expanding outside their Benelux base: Aviko into Spain, Agristo into the US and Farm Frites into Australia.
04Profiles
Each company in one paragraph
McCain Foods
Canada · private
The largest producer, with annual sales above C$16bn and 49 plants. It says one in four fries in the world is a McCain fry. Strong in both retail and foodservice worldwide.
Lamb Weston
US · NYSE: LW
$6.61bn net sales in FY2026, heavily weighted to North American quick-service chains (McDonald's ~15% of sales). Brands include Lamb Weston, Grown in Idaho and Alexia. Currently restructuring to cut costs.
J.R. Simplot
US · private
A diversified agribusiness that says it created the first commercial frozen fries. Long-standing McDonald's supplier; makes Ore-Ida for Kraft Heinz; now a major European producer through Clarebout.
Aviko
Netherlands · cooperative-owned
Owned by Royal Cosun's ~11,000 growers. €1.65bn turnover in 2025, 12 plants including China, and a strong foodservice position in Europe.
Agristo
Belgium · private
Family-owned, four plants in Belgium and the Netherlands with capacity approaching 1 million tonnes, €1.34bn turnover. Building its first US plant in North Dakota.
Farm Frites
Netherlands · private
Family business since 1971, €879m revenue in 2025 with nearly half of sales outside the EU. Plants include Egypt; Australia due in 2027.
Methodology: this comparison uses company filings (SEC 10-K and 8-K for Lamb Weston; Arcos Dorados Form 20-F), official company pages and press releases, and named trade-press reporting of filed annual accounts (Boerenbusiness, Nieuwe Oogst) where companies do not publish their own. Figures are shown in each company's reporting currency and period and are not converted. "Not verified" means we could not confirm the figure from an allowed source. FriesNews does not rank suppliers on product quality.
