The as-yet unnamed plant is expected to be operational by early 2009, and will produce up to 985 million pounds of PVC pipe annually. The facility will be operated by Westlake Chemical subsidiary North America Pipe Corp., and will produce water, sewer and irrigation pipes for industrial and residential markets. A spokesman with Westlake Chemical says the plant will permit the company greater proximity to its western markets. The spokesman declined to provide further details about the plant.

A spokesman with the Arizona Department of Commerce says if Westlake Chemical needed to provide more immediate service to the far western regions, Yucca is a good location for the plant. "That area represents a pipeline to the whole West Coast," he explains. "From that location, Westlake can not only service larger metro areas in Arizona, but they have great access into Southern California, the Las Vegas region and well into Nevada." He tells GlobeSt.com that Yucca and the surrounding area have well-located, well-maintained highways and rail service, which could also have influenced Westlake's decision to set up shop in the region.

Yucca will benefit from the retrofitted facility as well, the spokesman continues. "The addition of 75 jobs is good, extremely good, especially for that part of rural Arizona," he comments. "A project of this type and size will help build the infrastructure and make it more desirable for other companies to relocate there."