United Poly Systems LLC plans to renovate a vacant manufacturing plant in Mesa del Sol, N.M., to make plastic pipes.
The move comes as the company, based in Springfield, Mo., looks to serve U.S. markets for communications, utilities, and oil and gas gathering beyond the Midwest and South Central regions.
The manufacturer of high density polyethylene pipe got approval for a $9 million industrial-revenue bond from the Bernalillo County Commission to acquire property and equip the former Schott Solar facility, which ended photovoltaic panel production there in 2012.
The bond deal gives United Poly tax exemptions totaling $24,032 a year for 20 years. The county gets a $9 million investment and 30 to 35 new jobs by the end of 2016.
Twenty-five of the new jobs will be filled by early 2015, Art De La Cruz, the commission's vice chairman, said after the tax incentive was approved on Oct. 28.
“United Poly Systems is bringing good jobs, and jobs with benefits, that our residents can fill today,” he said. “I'm proud to say that Bernalillo County is becoming known for its commitment to economic development throughout the region.”
Bert Bridges, co-owner of United Poly Systems, declined to comment at this time. He started the company with Jim Massengale in March 2011. The pair had worked together at Bore-Flex Industries, which was bought in January 2011 by A-D Technologies — the company formed by the merger of Amco and Dura-line Corp.
United Poly has about 35 employees working three extrusion lines to make pipes from three-quarter inches to 16 inches at its 48,000-square-foot Springfield plant. With sales of $20 million, the company moved up 35 spaces to rank at No. 94 in Plastics News' 2014 ranking of pipe, profile and tubing extruders. Sales had increased $8.4 million from the previous year.
United Poly was looking at Minot, N.D., for its second location and announced plans to break ground on an estimated $5.5 million, 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in September 2013. Minot officials had approved $800,000 for the project from a development grant — not all of which had to be repaid if hiring targets were met.
However, United Poly cancelled the project, which was to have created 35 to 50 new jobs, earlier this year, citing delays in construction and other unforeseen circumstances, according to The Associated Press.
During its early talks with Bernalillo County officials, the company was known only as “Project Essential” to keep its identity private.
“The company wanted to remain anonymous during the real estate negotiation process,” Andrew Lenderman, the county spokesman, said in a telephone interview.