Apple Valley Chamber President Ed Kearney and Uponor North America President Bill Gray proudly cut a section of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing with support from U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Congressman John Kline, R-Minn., Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland, and other community and political leaders.

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — Uponor North America recently celebrated the fifth expansion to its 230,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility, more than quadrupling its size since its opening in 1990.

“This expansion affirms our brand ideals of connecting, building, and inspiring,” said Bill Gray, president, Uponor North America. “We’re not just trying to turn a profit here. We have a longer-term sustainability commitment to our company and the community.”

Gray thanked local businesses and community leaders for their support and partnership with Uponor, including Dakota County Technical College, the Apple Valley Chamber, Opportunity Partners, PCL Construction, Cal-Tex Electric, Legend Mechanical, and Power Engineers.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., referenced Uponor’s recent industry recognitions as a Top 100 Workplace by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year by the Manufacturers Alliance, saying manufacturing is coming back.

“Supporting a strong manufacturing sector is critical to the future health of our economy,” Klobuchar said. “This is about bringing our country back to those brass tacks of innovation and progress, and Uponor is already leading the way.”

U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., echoed the company’s sentiment of connecting, building, and inspiring, stating, “That’s exactly what I see you are doing here.”

The expansion, which included 17,500 square feet of manufacturing space and 3,000 square feet for an employee services area, in part helped the company increase its workforce in the past year by 25 percent, growing from 400 to more than 500 employees in North America.

“Uponor builds careers,” said Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland, who presented Gray with the Apple Valley Mayoral Proclamation award. “Uponor connects with Apple Valley and truly inspires excellence.”`

Publication date: 12/23/2013

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