Concrete pipe maker AmeriTex to launch HDPE, PP pipe production | Plastics News

Seguin, Texas-based AmeriTex Pipe & Products LLC is building a new facility to extrude corrugated pipe from virgin high density polyethylene and polypropylene in Conroe, Texas, to serve demand for infrastructure products in the state.

Founded in 2009, the privately held company had been focused on manufacturing reinforced concrete pipe with 12- to 144-inch diameters for storm drainage, culverts, jacking and tunneling applications.

Although company officials call concrete the only sustainable material for products that move large amounts of storm water, they also expect more applications to materialize for plastic products.

The new HDPE pipe products were introduced with AmeriTex's patent pending couplings at an April 6 customer appreciation party.

"We'll always listen carefully to our customers, so that together we can develop the best solutions for Texas' infrastructure," AmeriTex CEO Kevin Thompson said in a news release.

Those customers include civil contractors looking to plastic materials to update and expand infrastructure.

"To support our customers' growing need for both precast and high performing HDPE/PP pipe, we are constructing what we believe will be one of the largest, most efficient HDPE/PP pipe facilities in North America to align with our world's best precast concrete facilities," AmeriTex President Rocky Lorenz said.

AmeriTex also plans to partner with other HDPE/PP corrugated pipe suppliers to complement its production capacity to support growth in Texas, particularly for sustainable infrastructure.

At AmeriTex, sustainability means using no recycled content so all inputs run consistently through the extruders and corrugators to produce a quality product.

"We aren't convinced, at this time, that there is no difference between the long-term performance of corrugated pipe made with virgin resin compared to the wide variety of recycled material that some manufacturers use," Thompson said.

Lorenz added, "By sustainable, we mean 'built with high quality to last,' which mitigates construction defect and negative impact to the environment and economy to prematurely rebuild."

AmeriTex officials put the size of the Texas market for concrete box and pipe storm drains at more than $1 billion and growing.

"With $17 billion in Texas school bonds recently passed, we believe that the Texas corrugated pipe market will grow beyond $200 million," Thompson said.

AmeriTex will be ready like it has in the past, he added.

"When our customers told us they needed more concrete box culverts and pipes, AmeriTex built the capacity to meet all their needs and we are now, by far, the largest supplier of concrete box and pipe in the state of Texas with our leadership position continuing to grow," Thompson said.

Now plastic products are being added.

"Although we'll continue to evaluate, the jobs on which we assist our customers have to be sustainable," Thompson said. "For AmeriTex, product quality will always come first, and we'll only use resins directly from the chemical companies that are expert at producing consistent material."

Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

Please enter a valid email address.

Please enter your email address.

Please verify captcha.

Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

Find more newsletters at plasticsnews.com/newsletters.You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.