FREDERICKSBURG, VA. — Mid Atlantic Vinyl Products has opened a second vinyl fencing and railing extrusion operation to extend its geographic reach.

Mid Atlantic early this year started up a vinyl extrusion facility in Plant City, Fla.

"It's a strategic facility because Florida is a strong vinyl fencing market," explained Mid Atlantic vice president of corporate development David Curtas in a telephone interview. "Also, it's in central Florida which is good for shipping throughout the state."

Vinyl fencing is popular because it resists Florida's weather extremes, including hurricane-force winds. Mid Atlantic's main fencing trademark is WeatherWise.

Mid Atlantic in Plant City has started with two extrusion lines and expects to add a few more in a year or so, David Curtas predicted. The privately held firm is based in Fredericksburg, Va., where it runs a 54,000-square-foot factory. It employs about 100. Its owner and president is Luke David Curtas, who founded the company in 1996 branching out from the lumber industry.

The Plant City facility was formerly owned by Outdoor Technologies Inc. of Macon, Miss., which stopped vinyl extrusion there several years ago. David Curtas said his company extensively renovated the 67,000-square-foot building to make it more suited to Mid Atlantic's technology.

"We completely redesigned the plant, although the footprint was already there," David Curtas said.

Mid Atlantic also runs a distribution facility in Rockledge, Fla.

David Curtas said Mid Atlantic held an open house for the Plant City plant March 1.