Pipeline Plastics, LLC, a Texas-based pipeline manufacturer, announced earlier this week that it is expanding operations with a second High Density Polyethylene Pipe (HDPE) plant to be located in Belle Fourche, South Dakota.
The plant will service the growing energy market in the Bakken Shale Formation in North Dakota and eastern Montana, as well as energy markets in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. It will also service additional markets in those areas, including mining, irrigation and municipal water distribution.
“We have an aggressive growth strategy to position our company as a major player in the HDPE pipe industry on a national level,” said Monty Fisher, CEO of Pipeline Plastics, LLC. “We are bullish on the industry for both the energy and water sectors.
"New drilling technology has opened up the United States’ oil and gas development, which has created unprecedented growth in that market for HDPE pipe," Fisher added. "And, due to its superior performance with leak-proof joints and a lower lifetime cost over other materials, HDPE pipe is positioned to be the product of choice for water distribution.”
The Belle Fourche location was selected over many other sites in the region for its geographic advantages, including its rail access and proximity to Interstate 90, as well as the positive business environment in South Dakota, the company said. The expansion, representing a $10 million investment, is expected to bring 25 to 40 full-time jobs to the Belle Fourche area.
Pipeline Plastics, LLC started producing HDPE pipe in the fourth quarter of 2011 at a new manufacturing facility in Decatur, Texas, which recently more than doubled its capacity. The Belle Fourche plant is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2013.