China's Lesso launches pipe fitting, valve production in the US

CORONA, CALIF. — Pipe fitting and valve maker China Lesso Group Holdings Ltd. has officially settled into a permanent home in the U.S., opening its Lesso America Inc. subsidiary in Corona, Calif., with 12 Haitian injection molding presses.

The year-long infrastructure, equipment-acquisition and improvement project required significant investments, Victor Lin, Lesso America president, said in an interview at an open house at the new facility.

Lesso America first leased about 140,000 square feet in 2012, and started its U.S. base by using a portion of the space to warehouse plumbing and irrigation components that were imported from China.

Now, manufacturing occupies about 30,000 square feet of the space. Initial production involves plumbing and irrigation parts of up to 4 inches in diameter.

Lesso developed more than 1,000 molds for products for the U.S. market at a cost of more than $10 million, Lin said.

Offices, a showroom and two conference rooms are on site, and Lesso America is installing additional 20-foot-high racks in the warehouse.

The energy-efficient Mars 2 series servo-hydraulic molding machines from Haitian International Holdings Ltd. include six of 281 tons, four of 360 tons and two of 528 tons.

Half of each size of the machines is set up with barrel heater fans for molding products of rigid PVC. The other half of each size molds ABS.

Space is available for up to 20 presses.

“It's a big operation that is impressing customers,” said Dan O'Neal with Progressive Equipment Sales of Corona. O'Neal assisted Lesso in outfitting the site.

Auxiliary equipment includes a Thermal Care closed-loop tower and chiller system; Una-Dyn granulators, pumps, McGuire-brand blenders and a super sack unloader; Shini Plastics hopper dryers; and an Atlas Copco air compressor, dryer and tank. Pacific Crane & Hoist Inc. of Brea, Calif., supplied a 6,000-pound A-frame hoist.

A quality-control laboratory is planned for high-pressure and heat testing.

Linardos Enterprises Inc. of Riverside, Calif., was general contractor. West Coast Industrial Service Inc. of Riverside installed equipment including a mezzanine to support piping and material handling systems. Baxter Electrical Contractors Inc. of Corona dealt with the issues in an extensive power installation.

On Sept. 14, Lesso America held an elaborate open house with factory and showroom tours and a traditional Chinese lion dance performance for local dignitaries, customers, plumbing firms, sales representatives and component distributors.

Attendees included Manlun Zuo, CEO of China Lesso Group, and Glenn Frohring, president of equipment distributor Absolute Haitian Corp. of Worcester, Mass.

China Lesso Group of Foshan City, China, a subsidiary of New Fortune Star Ltd., has a product line that includes primarily plastic pipe fittings and valves, sanitary ware, kitchen products and PVC profile doors and windows. China Lesso manufactures its own materials and ships the resins in polypropylene super sack bags.