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MUNCY -- It's a company that employs more than 100 people, operates three shifts and fabricates pipe systems sent nationwide and overseas.
State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township said what impresses him about Advanced Drainage Systems is its use of recycled plastics and other materials to create its products.
Yaw was part of a tour Friday of the company's plant located in Muncy's Industrial Park.
"It's jobs and it's great for the environment," the lawmaker said.
The plant, operating since 1984, is one of 56 facilities under the Advanced Drainage Systems umbrella.
"The pipes here are for drainage systems, mostly with storm management," said Greg Bohn, director of national engineering and product development for the company.
Advanced Drainage Systems, he said, recycles 400 million pounds of material companywide a year to produce pipes and other materials.
The recycling is done at the company's Clarion plant and the material is then shipped to sites such as the Muncy facility.
"We make it and use it," he said.
Plant Manager Dave Watkins said the Muncy facility has five production lines, each of which turn out different sizes or types of piping.
Yaw said he was impressed by some of the sizes of pipes being produced.
"This is our largest plant," Bohn said.
During the plant tour, Watkins led a small entourage past different work areas, where employees could be found cutting, shaping and even rolling out piping.
He pointed outside of the plant building to the stacks and rows of products.
"We inventory about 10 million pounds of pipe in a busy season," he said.
With some 110 workers, Advanced Drainage Systems is one of the bigger employers in Lycoming County.
And, plans are well under way to expand the facility in the spring to create a more efficient production process.
Watkins noted the company's green approach to production.
"All scrap is regenerated. Nothing is going to the landfill," he said.
Bohn said piping for infrastructure is perhaps the biggest market for the company.
Customers include land developers, contractors, municipalities, and even PennDOT.
"We have distribution throughout the state," he said.