Uponor North America, the expanding plumbing-system manufacturer, needs to construct a larger workforce.
Uponor, is building a $17.4 million expansion at its Apple Valley campus, following a significant plant expansion year. The company will hire an additional 50 people, on top of 100 hires in 2016.
Uponor plans a job fair on Thursday, June 1, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Uponor North America headquarters at 5925 148th Street W. (near Johnny Cake Ridge Road) in Apple Valley.
Along with training and a career path, Uponor touts competitive wages, generous benefits, including health care, a month of paid time off, a 401k retirement plan, and a $2-an-hour night-shift differential and bonus.
Uponor North America President Bill Gray has said his biggest challenge is finding trainable workers willing to learn manufacturing in a safe, clean environment.
The 58,000-square-foot annex is being added to the sprawling 405,000-square-foot complex in Apple Valley.
The expansion is needed for Uponor to keep up with projected manufacturing growth in cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing. It is used in plumbing, fire sprinklers, radiant heating and cooling systems, as well as hydronic piping systems.
"These are exciting times at Uponor and the building industry as we continue to experience significant growth in both commercial and residential construction," Gray said last month.
This is the tenth time Uponor has expanded its operations in Apple Valley since 1990, when the Finland-based company opened the suburban Dakota County site.
Last year, the company, which employs 700, spent $18 million to add 88,000 square feet.