A 122-year-old cast-iron pipe maker started operating its $460-million ferrous foundry in North Carolina, and celebrated its role in “revitalizing manufacturing in the U.S.”
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company, a maker of cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings for plumbing applications, held its grand opening of a new $460 million foundry in Oakboro, North Carolina. Charlotte Pipe’s new foundry is situated on 700 acres in Stanly County, about 35 miles east of the cast iron foundry it operated in Uptown Charlotte for more than 100 years.
“The move to Oakboro will spur growth of other businesses, including vendors who supply and support the plant, opening a new window of economic growth for Stanly County,” said Hooper Hardison, CEO of Charlotte Pipe. “Even better, the region is already home to many of the Company’s associates who will benefit from reduced commute times and increased amenities within their work environment.”
Charlotte Pipe’s Oakboro Foundry, which became fully operational on September 5, 2023, employs more than 530 associates, and according to Hardison, up to another 500 construction workers were on the Oakboro jobsite each day over three years, working more than 1.2 million hours to open the new plant. All construction materials and supplies for the new foundry were 100% Made in the USA, as are all Charlotte Pipe products.
In addition, Charlotte Pipe added a rail spur to connect the new plant to the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway, a short-line railroad that crosses central North Carolina. The Aberdeen line connects to the Norfolk Southern Railway, giving the Oakboro Foundry rail access to move recycled materials to and from the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest.
