NORTH ANDOVER, MA, July 3, 2013 -- Watts Water Technologies, Inc., opened a multimillion dollar, 30,000 square foot foundry, an expansion to its Franklin, N.H., facility of one of its operating subsidiaries, which produces products for many of its brands. The state and local dignitaries, including Governor Maggie Hassan and Franklin Mayor Kenneth Merrifield, joined officials from Watts Water to celebrate the occasion.
The new lead-free foundry reflects the company's commitment to proactively meet the requirements of the "Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act," which goes into effect in January 2014. The law establishes new limits on the lead content in every pipe, fixture, and fitting used to convey water for human consumption. The company's new foundry will produce lead-free products exclusively.
"This is a great day for our company and its employees, our industry, and the Franklin community," said Watts Water Technologies CEO and President David Coghlan, who noted that the new foundry will produce lead-free versions of products already produced in Franklin, and additional products, as well. "It will enable us to be the 'safe choice' for lead-free products, since we can eliminate the possibility of cross contamination of materials. It will also enable us to provide efficient and timely availability of products."
New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan commended the company for the types of products produced, which contribute to public health and safety, and for the company's educational efforts around the lead-free initiative. She also complimented the Franklin workforce, noting that the work effort here is "extraordinary." She added that the company is emblematic of the ingenuity found across the Granite State. "We can make great things here," she said, "and share them across the world."
About Watts Water's Franklin, N.H. facility
Watts Water's Franklin, N.H. facility, which opened in 1959, has undergone 16 expansions since that time and has more than tripled in square footage. From about 30 employees in 1959, the Franklin workforce has since grown to more than 500 employees today. The Franklin plant manufactures and distributes products that go to U.S. retailers, OEMs, and wholesale distributors, and it is currently the company's largest manufacturing facility in North America.
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