Italian window maker Piva Group SpA is opening its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., where it expects to be producing 300 windows a day in August and eventually triple its capacity.
The family-owned company is investing $6.47 million into an existing 90,000-square foot site that will house distribution, customer service, accounting, and information technology personnel in addition to factory workers.
The operation will create 122 new jobs in the community, which was founded in 1735 by French Canadian settlers. Piva's other production facilities are in Italy and Spain and have a combined workforce of 400.
Piva makes vinyl and aluminum windows and doors as well as vinyl wall panels for the residential and commercial markets in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Africa, Australia and Latin America. The Ste. Genevieve plant will make vinyl products, according to a news release from Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon.
Nixon had met with company officials in Milan, Italy, to discuss expansion prospects and promote the state's central U.S. location for not only connecting with North American customers but increasing its market share.
Randy LaMotte, president of Piva Group North America, said in a news release that the overseas outreach made a difference in selecting a location. The company plans to install machinery and equipment in the coming weeks.
“It's rewarding to bring jobs to Missouri and specifically to Ste. Genevieve, where the workforce has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic and strong values,” LaMotte added. “This facility will provide the highest levels of quality and consistency in our products and allow us to deliver the best level of service and value available to our customers.”
If Piva meets its hiring and investment goals, it will receive an economic incentive package from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. No details of the enticement, which often includes tax breaks, have been released.