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Idahoans honor J.R. Simplot during public memorial service
The Idaho Statesman ^ | 1 June 2008 | Bethann Stewart

Posted on 06/01/2008 4:08:02 PM PDT by GOP_Raider

Public memorial services for J.R. Simplot were held Sunday afternoon at Qwest Arena in Downtown Boise.

The Grove Plaza was full of people, including triathletes wrapped in tinfoil blankets, and mourners in black suits who entered Qwest Arena for the service.

Simplot's family members formed a receiving line and introduced themselves to the thousands of guests who filed in for the memorial service, which began at 2 p.m.

Larry Hlobik, president and CEO of Simplot Co., opened the service and the Boise Philharmonic and the Boise Master Choral performed the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Simplot's children and grandchildren addressed the crowd, sharing memories of their father and grandfather and family videos. Former Idaho Governor Phil Batt, longtime friend and business associate Don Lubin, and Tommy Basabe, president of Land & Livestock Group, also spoke.

(Excerpt) Read more at idahostatesman.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Idaho
KEYWORDS: idaho; simplot

1 posted on 06/01/2008 4:08:02 PM PDT by GOP_Raider
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To: Chief Engineer; Delphinium; EternalVigilance; Keyes2000mt; Sir_Ed; Knitting A Conundrum; ...
John Richard Simplot (1909-2008)
The FR Idaho Ping List
FReepmail GOP_Raider to be on or off this list

2 posted on 06/01/2008 4:11:47 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (DU: Standing athwart history yelling "$#@$# you mother$#@$#er!")
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To: Chief Engineer; Delphinium; EternalVigilance; Keyes2000mt; Sir_Ed; Knitting A Conundrum; ...
John Richard Simplot (1909-2008)
The FR Idaho Ping List
FReepmail GOP_Raider to be on or off this list

3 posted on 06/01/2008 4:11:55 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (DU: Standing athwart history yelling "$#@$# you mother$#@$#er!")
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To: GOP_Raider

Wikipedia: Simplot
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J. R. Simplot Company

Type Private
Founded 1923; Declo, Idaho
Headquarters Boise, Idaho
Key people J. R. Simplot, Founder
Larry Hlobik, President and CEO
Scott R. Simplot, Chairman
Products frozen food processing, fertilizer manufacturing, cattle feeding, and other businesses related to agriculture
Employees 10,000
Slogan Bringing Earth’s Resources to Life
Website www.simplot.com
The J. R. Simplot Company, commonly referred to as Simplot, was founded in 1923 by 14-year-old J. R. Simplot near the small agricultural community of Declo in south central Idaho. J. R. Simplot led his company to tremendous growth in the period between its founding and World War II. The business truly flourished when it sold millions of pounds of dehydrated onions and potatoes to the U.S. military during the war.

Perhaps the most important and defining feature of the Simplot company was the invention by one of Simplot’s chemists, Ray L. Dunlap, of the necessary processes to produce quality frozen french fries. By the early 1960s it was the primary supplier of french fries to McDonald’s; by 2005 it supplied more than half of all french fries for the fast food chain. Simplot also produces fertilizers for agriculture.[1]

Simplot is now one of the largest privately owned companies in the world (ranked 59th in Private Companies by Forbes magazine in 2004) and has branches in Australia, Canada, Mexico, China, and several other regions. One of the major plants is in Caldwell, Idaho.


4 posted on 06/01/2008 4:14:00 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT (The best is the enemy of the good!)
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To: GOP_Raider
On politics:

"The Democrats want to spend more, more on socialistic affairs, less on people that want to do things. They take the effort out of it. You got to let people get rich and pay taxes."

Here's to keeping things simple. A skill that's likely to be more and more in demand as people insist on complicating things.

5 posted on 06/01/2008 4:15:31 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (Obama's a front man. Who's behind him?)
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To: DUMBGRUNT

the kids will trash it. take it public. it’s too precious an asset. they’ll sell out.


6 posted on 06/01/2008 4:16:33 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (Obama's a front man. Who's behind him?)
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To: GOP_Raider
Just for those who may have no idea:

The J. R. Simplot Company is a privately held food and agribusiness corporation based in Boise, Idaho.

Simplot is one of the world's largest frozen-potato processors, annually turning out 3 billion pounds of french fries and other potato products worldwide.

The firm also is one of the nation's largest beef-cattle producers, and ranks as a major agricultural-fertilizer manufacturer, with markets in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

The company is named for founder J.R. Simplot.

7 posted on 06/01/2008 4:17:56 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: the invisib1e hand

Our former gov. Phil Batt said in the memorial service that (and this is a paraphrase) “There will never be another J.R. Simplot.” How sad, a few dozen more J.R.’s here in Idaho alone could do wonders...


8 posted on 06/01/2008 4:18:31 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (DU: Standing athwart history yelling "$#@$# you mother$#@$#er!")
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To: Red_Devil 232; DUMBGRUNT

Thanks for posting all of the info. You live in Idaho either long enough (or in my case enough times) one just kind of assumes the whole world knows the Simplot name and company.


9 posted on 06/01/2008 4:20:00 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (DU: Standing athwart history yelling "$#@$# you mother$#@$#er!")
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To: Red_Devil 232; DUMBGRUNT

No mention of Micron Technology, which Simplot was a major backer of.


10 posted on 06/01/2008 4:23:08 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (Obama's a front man. Who's behind him?)
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To: the invisib1e hand

Well he certainly nailed the Democrats in the first 2 sentences and told us what this Nation needs to do in the 3rd!


11 posted on 06/01/2008 4:39:42 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: Red_Devil 232

yeah. but since he never went to high school, he can’t know what he’s talking about. /ds (dripping sarcasm)


12 posted on 06/01/2008 4:40:47 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (Obama's a front man. Who's behind him?)
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To: GOP_Raider

He was in litigation with the IRS for many years. He knew how to evade the taxman, that’s for sure.


13 posted on 06/01/2008 4:58:18 PM PDT by joe.fralick
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To: GOP_Raider

My former company used Simplot sand. Was Mr. Simplot in the sand business.


14 posted on 06/01/2008 5:22:48 PM PDT by Retired Chemist
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To: Retired Chemist

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. Simplot had some pretty diversified business ventures it wouldn’t surprise me...


15 posted on 06/01/2008 6:03:47 PM PDT by GOP_Raider (DU: Standing athwart history yelling "$#@$# you mother$#@$#er!")
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