Timewell Drainage Products will open its sixth manufacturing facility in the U.S., announcing May 10 the purchase of a 40,000-square-foot building on 20 acres of land in Selma, Alabama.
Timewell Marketing Vice President Aaron Kassing told Plastics News the company would probably invest "less than $25 million" in the high density polyethylene pipe project. The plant, he said in a telephone interview, would be up and running in 6-8 months and employ about 50.
In a news release, the Timewell, Ill.-based company said it will need to renovate the building and add equipment before launching production.
"Market consolidation in the past five years has resulted in very limited options for HDPE pipe in the South," President Darren Wagner said in the release. "We are setting up another manufacturing facility in Selma to better serve our growing agriculture and storm water customer base in that region."
Timewell extrudes drainage pipe for agriculture subsurface drainage systems and storm water removal and containment.
Selma is the second major growth move by Timewell in less than two years. It acquired Midwest Plastic Products in September 2016, which brought it manufacturing facilities in Jefferson, Wis., and Plainfield, Iowa, and additional molding capabilities.
The company is expecting additional growth over the next several years, Timewell said in the release.
"Despite ups and downs in public and private construction and the agriculture industry, Timewell has experienced consistent growth over the last several years," Wagner said. "We are well positioned to continue serving our well-established markets and add production capabilities in emerging regions."
He added that the Selma facility "offered the central location, ideal building layout, large lot and available workforce we were searching for in the region."
It said it will work with regional authorities to develop a local workforce training and hiring program.
Timewell manufactures 3-15 inch single wall pipe and its 4-48 inch MaXflo dual wall corrugated HDPE tubing products.