Independent Pipe Products Inc. (IPPI), a manufacturer and supplier of polyethylene pipe products for municipal and commercial use, will invest $7 million to locate a new facility in Abbeville, South Carolina, according to state economic development officials. The company, which will create 25 new jobs with the project, will move into an existing facility left vacant by former tenant Performance Pipe; Plastic News reports that IPPI will manufacture a pipe product approximately 65 inches in diameter, and that it will construct a 12,000-square-foot expansion that will bring the facility size to 48,000 square feet. "This new facility will move us closer to our growing customer base on the East Coast," says Ron Hopton-Jones, IPPI's president. "South Carolina offers us an excellent business environment, and Abbeville County had an existing facility in which we could house our operations and grow. We are pleased to move forward with our plans in Abbeville County, and appreciate all the support we've received from state and local officials." The company expects to begin operations by the spring of 2010.
