India-based hose manufacturer Polyhose Inc. plans to double the size of its current facility inside Pender Commerce Park.
The growth is part of the second phase of the company’s expansion plan, according to a news release issued Thursday by Wilmington Business Development (WBD). The company, which manufactures industrial hoses and fittings, selected Pender Commerce Park as the location for its North American assembly and logistics operations base in 2019.
Polyhose then built a 52,500-square-foot facility on 9 acres in the county-owned industrial park. The company moved into the building and began operations in 2021, according to past Business Journal reporting.
Last fall, Polyhose submitted a bid to Pender County leaders to purchase a roughly 8-acre lot adjacent to its current site as it planned to expand its warehousing and assembly facility.
That shows the company is eyeing its “longer-range needs” in the Wilmington area, the release from WBD stated. Polyhose has grown its brand presence since establishing itself in the Wilmington area, supplying “some of the world’s leading automotive and construction equipment names,” according to the release.
“As we are getting more situated in North America, more opportunities are coming our way,” Mo Millwala, president of Polyhose Inc., wrote in the release. “We are also leveraging our existing relationships to grow our business in North America.”
The expansion is expected to reach completion by the first quarter of 2025, according to the WBD release. Polyhose is partnering with McKinley Building Corp. and engineering and architecture firm Becker Morgan Group on the project.
Polyhose was established in 1996 in Chennai, India, and today has a worldwide footprint with extensive operations across Asia, Africa and Europe. The company has more than 3,000 employees worldwide.
Polyhose’s presence in Pender Commerce Park has created potential for future investment, according to Brad George, chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners.
“Pender Commerce Park created a global economic gateway for our county, and Polyhose’s success here positions us for continued domestic and foreign investment,” George wrote in the release. “Today’s announcement also showcases the benefits of strong existing-industry support, and we credit our partners at Wilmington Business Development for their hard work in helping take Polyhose to the next level.”
Pender County leaders have worked with WBD since 2006 to plan and establish the 350-acre Pender Commerce Park along U.S. 421. New York City-based Acme Smoked Fish became the park's first tenant In 2014.
Current tenants include Empire Distributors, FedEx Freight, Coastal Beverage, Amazon, Maersk and The Home Depot, among others.
