Vinyl plumbing and building materials maker Genova Plastics of Davison, Mich., will invest $4.9 million to renovate a factory in Paducah, Ky., as part of its strategic plan to expand production and distribution capacity with a central U.S. location.
The 100,000-square foot facility most recently housed Infiniti Plastics Technology Inc., an injection molder of CDs and DVDs that closed about a year ago.
The company provided more details on plans for Paducah announced by the city earlier this year.
Genova started up its Paducah operation about a month ago with 15 employees but plans to hire a total of 125 people over the next 10 years. The company is eligible for tax incentives worth up to $1 million from the Kentucky Development Finance Authority if it meets job and investment targets.
The factory, which has rail access, is co-owned by the city of Paducah and McCracken County. Genova will lease it. The company also has manufacturing operations in Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Nevada and Texas; warehouses in Indiana and Texas; and a presence in Lithuania.
Founded in 1962, Genova makes plumbing, rain gutter, marine/RV, fencing, deck, rail and lattice products sold at hardware stores, including Ace, Blish-Mize, True Value and Do It Best. The Paducah facility will make PVC pipe fittings for Lowe's, according to a report by WKMS public radio.
The family-owned business was started by Robert F. Williams, a plumbing contractor who got into sales and also was an early champion of changing building codes to allow plastics in plumbing, according to the company website.