Andersen Corp. plans to build a $105 million manufacturing and distribution complex in Arizona that will create 415 jobs as it meets demand for Fibrex brand composite windows.
The Bayport, Minn.-based company is looking at a proposed site in Goodyear, Ariz., for 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution space, which initially will be used for the Andersen 100 series line.
The investment is part of a strategy to meet current and future demand for products made from Andersen's proprietary Fibrex material, which is a blend of wood fiber, mostly reclaimed from company manufacturing processes, and a thermoplastic polymer, some of which is reclaimed.
A second phase of the project could increase the company's total investment in the proposed site to at least $200 million, Andersen officials said.
"This new manufacturing campus is an exciting opportunity for us to increase manufacturing and distribution capacity for our fast-growing Fibrex products and expand our presence in the western United States, where we are experiencing significant growth," Chairman and CEO Jay Lund said in a news release.
If the company begins construction in early 2019, production could start in mid-2020. The complex will be owned and operated by Andersen Regional Manufacturing Inc, a subsidiary of Andersen Corp.
The Fibrex product lines, which also includes Renewal by Andersen, have contributed to what the company termed unprecedented growth for the 115-year-old privately held company, according to the release. Andersen holds more than 25 U.S. patents for the engineered material.
Last month, Lund said Andersen divested its hollow-core vinyl window and patio door business to focus on Fibrex products. The business was acquired by Cary, N.C.-based Ply Gem Parent LLC for $190 million. That deal, which includes four plants that produce the Silver Line and American Craftsman brands, is expected to close early in the fourth quarter of 2018.
