Mueller Water Products to Close U.S. Pipe Manufacturing Plant in North Birmingham

Mueller Water Products, Inc. today announced that U.S. Pipe and Foundry Company LLC (U.S. Pipe) will close its ductile iron pipe manufacturing plant in North Birmingham, Alabama by March 31, 2010, eliminating approximately 260 positions.

Production from the North Birmingham plant will be managed using existing capacity at U.S. Pipe's Bessemer, Alabama and Union City, California facilities.

Over the past three years, U.S. Pipe has focused on streamlining and upgrading its operations to improve safety and quality, and reduce costs. Most significantly, the Company invested in a new automated ductile iron pipe manufacturing process that increases quality and output while substantially reducing costs. A facility for this new manufacturing technology was built adjacent to its Bessemer, Alabama facility. More…