Cantex plans Arizona manufacturing, distribution site

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conduit and electrical product supplier Cantex Inc. (Fort Worth, TX) has purchased a 30-acre site in Kingman, AZ where it will build a 500,000-sq-ft manufacturing and distribution plant. Scheduled to open in August 2007, the operation will be Cantex’s sixth locale, giving it 10 manufacturing facilities and three distribution centers in the U.S. Featuring injection molding and extrusion, the operation will extrude conduit and be the first molded fabricated fitting plant in the western U.S.

Cantex serves the power, utility, communication, and building and construction markets, with manufacturing in Reno, NV; Rolla, MO; Aurora, OH; Auburndale, FL (two); and Mineral Wells, TX (three). The company was acquired by the U.S. division of Sumitomo Corp. (Tokyo) in 1992.

Market researcher The Freedonia Group (Cleveland, OH) reported that demand for extruded PVC pipe and conduit applications is expected to increase 9.2% annually, reaching 2.1 million tonnes by 2010, with growth in nonresidential applications continuing to outpace residential business, as was the trend from 1995-2005.—[email protected]