Barrette Outdoor Living broke ground at a 175,000 sq. ft. PVC manufacturing plant located along Brooksville Tampa Bay Regional Airport Rail Park, just north of Tampa Bay, FL.
Expected to be completed by early 2023, the new plant will bring upwards of 170 new jobs and will complement the company’s existing 300,000 sq. ft. aluminum manufacturing and warehouse facilities located nearby.
The Brooksville plant is designed to handle PVC compounding, in addition to vinyl extrusion, fabrication and product assembly. The plant will also feature a PVC recycling center—part of Barrette Outdoor Living’s GreenWays Recycling Program. The program works with customers to collect recyclable PVC materials that are then processed and used as substrate in the company’s vinyl products. Once operational, the company projects its Brooksville recycling center will process and reuse up to 40 million lbs. of vinyl/PVC scrap material annually.
To further align with the company’s sustainability initiatives, the plant has direct access to a CSX rail line. The direct-to-plant rail delivery eliminates the need for additional transportation methods, helping to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
“Being able to say our vinyl products are made in the USA using recycled material and eco-friendly manufacturing processes are great sources of pride for our company,” said Jean desAutels, CEO of Barrette Outdoor Living.
In addition, energy-efficient lighting and machinery will be installed throughout the plant, including a closed-loop process water system and a centralized water-cooled chiller system. The possibility of installing a rooftop solar array is also being explored for 2024.
“This expansion allows us to better service our customers—not only in terms of capacity but also in terms of proximity,” said desAutels.
