PVC pipe and hose manufacturer Fitt USA Inc. is investing $25.6 million to establish a U.S. headquarters in Moorseville, N.C., where it will create 144 full-time jobs.
Part of Sandrigo, Italy-based Fitt SpA, Fitt USA will manufacture two of its outdoor living products for residential and commercial customers from a 120,000-square-foot facility in a business park, according to the Mooresville Tribune.
One of the products, Fitt Force, is a hose that is flat when stored but takes the classic round shape during use. When the water flow stops, the hose returns to its flat state for easy storage.
The other product, Fitt Flow, is an expandable hose for patio use that is made with an anti-kink thermoplastic elastomer material and comes with a multisetting nozzle and a storage bag.
Fitt USA got approval for an economic incentive grant worth up to $551,000 over a five-year period from the town of Mooresville. Another grant is under consideration by Iredell County officials.
"Opening our facility in Iredell County and North Carolina was the right decision," Fitt Group CEO Alessandro Mezzalira said in a news release. "The environment is conducive to establishing a business with a skilled workforce, superior location, and welcoming community has made the processes easy."
Fitt Group also makes PVC sewer and water pipe, agricultural hose for fertilizers and pesticides, and products for boating and pool applications.
The group posted sales of 233 million euros ($275.9 million) in 2018, according to its website. The company has 910 employees at nine production facilities, 11 logistics centers and five sales offices around the world.
The website also says Fitt USA uses Teknor Apex Co. compounds and that its parent company "embarked on a journey of discovery" in the U.S. in 2017. A year later, Fitt SpA conducted market research with consumers and focus groups and then created the organization and partnerships for Fitt USA.
The corporate office for Fitt USA opened in North Carolina in 2019.