By Scott Farms International
Scott Farms International, based in Lucama, N.C., has long been one of the leaders in the sweet potato industry. Keeping in that tradition, the Scott Family continues to expand and innovate.
In just two short years, the grower-shipper has built a 60,000 sq. ft. automated packing facility, opened an additional international office, and completed construction of an 80,000 sq. ft. storage and curing facility. All to the betterment of sweet potatoes.
“Sweet potato consumption is growing in the US and around the world”, Linwood “Sonny” Scott, Jr. said. “We built our automated line with the expectation it would offer a more consistent pack for our customers. It was only natural we move on to the next phase with more storage, as well.”
The company boasted 1.6 million bushels of environmentally controlled storage before adding another 600,000 bushels in the new facility. “Increasing our storage capacity will help us serve our domestic and international markets better and more efficiently”, Dewey Scott, Vice President, Sweet Potato Operations, said. “Our new office in the Netherlands will complement our already successful office in the UK. Our domestic business is growing with the trends in consumption as well. Scott Farms is committed to being at the front of the industry with quality, consistency and safe products.”
In addition to infrastructure expansions, the operation is expanding product lines as well. In August, their new Steam-In-Bag line was added to complement their other added-value products. “The Steam-In-Bag product is starting to gain traction with our retail customers”, Stephanie Williams, Director of Sales for Scott Farms, said recently. “Our customers are the driving force for us. We are in a unique position as the grower, packer and shipper of our sweet potatoes to have control of the entire process from the plant to the customer. It is great to be able to offer the quality and consistency we do for our customers.”
Key Facts:
- Scott Farms is a sixth generation family owned farm
- Incorporation date – 1980
- Scott Farms International office opened in the United Kingdom – 2005
- 2.2 Million bushels of environmentally controlled storage and curing
- 60,000 sq. ft. packing facility opened – March 2015
- Second Scott Farms International office opened in Holland – 2016
- Additional 80,000 sq. ft. storage and curing facility opened – October 2016
Located on approximately 13,000 acres in North Carolina’s sweet potato and tobacco heartland of Wilson and surrounding counties, the company has been in continuous operation and expansion for 150 years. The sixth generation, family owned farm specializes in growing corn, wheat, soybeans, tobacco and sweet potatoes. The Scott Family employs a hands-on approach to supplying the highest quality products to the marketplace with efficiency while maintaining the strictest food safety standards. The addition of a 60,000 sq. ft. grading and packing facility for sweet potatoes has allowed the operation to expand the reach of supply to the international market, as well as, opening Scott Farms International offices in the United Kingdom and Holland.