New Site in Oakboro
In October, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co. celebrated a significant milestone with a grand opening of its new $460 million iron foundry located in Oakboro, North Carolina.
For more than a century, the North Carolina-based company producing cast iron and plastic pipes and fittings for plumbing applications had an operation about 35 miles west. Now, however, the site is being replaced with an all-new facility located on 700 acres of land in Stanly County.
Annually, Charlotte Pipe melts more than 150,000 tons of scrap iron and steel, and more than $58 million has been put into environmental controls and systems at the Oakboro plant. Among them is a 70,000-megawatt substation on-site that provides energy capable of powering 70,000 separate residences.
“Charlotte Pipe has always been committed to investments that will benefit our associates, our customers and our shareholders,” states the vice chair of the company’s board of directors, Roddey Dow Jr. “While our Uptown Charlotte location has provided stakeholders with a solid platform to deliver outstanding results, our new Oakboro foundry will allow a more efficient layout of our plant and equipment and give us the flexibility to expand to meet future needs.”
Headquartered in 1901, the company has operations spanning seven plants throughout the United States with its products being exported and used globally. Additionally, its subsidiary, Neenah Enterprises Inc., produces recycled-content municipal castings with three production facilities within the U.S.
Since its establishment, Charlotte Pipe has not only chosen to remain a privately held entity, but has also made the decision to invest heavily in its employees, as well as capital equipment and environmental control technology. The organization now operates an advanced foundry that is both modernized and highly streamlined.
“One of the Largest and Most Modern Foundries in the World”
At the beginning of 2019, the board of directors decided to overhaul Charlotte Pipe’s existing plant and replace it with what has been described as one of the most cutting-edge foundries in the world. With this replacement, the firm reiterates its commitment to keeping its manufacturing base firmly rooted within North Carolina for years to come.
“A generational project, the relocation and expansion of our legacy foundry is a strategic move by Charlotte Pipe to improve its processes and offerings in ways that will allow the company to continue serving the plumbing industry and our community for the next 100 years,” Hooper Hardison, Charlotte Pipe’s CEO, states.
The company has also recently implemented a new rail spur which links its manufacturing plant to the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway. This short-line railroad, running through central North Carolina, connects with the Norfolk Southern Railway, imparting access to ferrous scrap from both regions of the East Coast and Midwest allowing for the improved transport of materials into the new Oakboro foundry.
Charlotte Pipe’s relocation has also seen an opportunity to market its 55-acre parcel of land. Located in Charlotte’s Uptown neighborhood, this property is slated for an industrial dismantling and demolition project before it can be marketed by CBRE, a Dallas-based real estate services and investment company.
