Initially, the first five of the planned seven production lines at the new 55,000-square-foot facility will manufacture polyethylene duct for fiber optic cable and Asahi/America's Poly-Flo dual-contained piping systems. Additional extrusion lines will be added during the first quarter of 1999 to manufacture corrugated polyethylene piping systems through 60 inches for use in water projects and sewer applications.

The first Quail facility in Magnolia, AR, which opened up in May 1998, manufactures plastic corrugated piping systems, whose lower cost, ease of installation, strength and reliability make them an alternative for concrete pipe in water work projects, as well as construction applications involving significant water flow.

Leslie B. Lewis, chairman and CEO of Asahi/America, said, "In addition to bringing our second planned regional manufacturing facility on line ahead of schedule, we have broadened our reach to include the fast-growing fiber optic cable duct market. Additionally, our emergence as an important player in this marketplace helps raise our visibility and will open up doors for our core plastic-valve product line to new industry applications and customers."

Poly-Flo piping is of unitary construction, extruded by a patented process in sizes from 1"- 6" (carrier), in polypropylene and PVDF. Poly-Flo is relatively inexpensive and extremely easy to cut and weld. Patented double O-ring flanges allow Poly-Flo systems to be efficiently pre-assembled, then easily bolted into place in the field. Typical installations are in waste treatment, transporting sulfuric acid or caustic soda; in chemical processing applications, for bulk storage chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and aluminum nitrate; in semiconductor plants for handling sulfuric, nitric, and hydrofluoric acids for wet stations.

Duo-Pro (corrugated) piping is fabricated from separate components and is available in polypropylene, PVDF, Halar, and polyethylene. The carrier and containment pipes may be of different materials. Duo-Pro is available in sizes to 20" (carrier), and is suitable for large systems, from industrial and process waste lines to pressurized transfer lines. Pharmaceutical and semiconductor plants, steel mills and plating shops are typical customers. Asahi/America claims Duo-Pro is the most widely used pipe of its kind on the market.

For more information: Leslie B. Lewis, President and CEO, Asahi/America, Inc., 35 Green Street, Malden, MA 02148-0005. Tel: 781-321-5409.

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