ANN ARBOR – Polytorx, which makes toothpick-sized pieces of twisted steel wire that mix directly into concrete to add strength, is expanding its Jackson factory by 12-fold to keep up with demand for its innovative product, developed by University of Michigan researchers.
The company said it is moving from a 10,000 square foot facility into a 120,000 square foot facility and doubling the number of machines used to produce Helix.
?A year ago we were sending boxes of Helix to customers, and then pallets – now we?re shipping it by the truckload and trying to keep up with the orders,? said CTO Luke Pinkerton.
Polytorx CEO Bill Orabone said the company has been courted by several other states that want to work with Polytorx to expand its manufacturing facilities, expected to create 1,800 jobs in the next five years. North Carolina, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania all are interested in moving Polytorx to their states, where Helix will be used in road construction. But the Michigan Department of Transportation has shown little interest in Helix.
?Even with this doubling in capacity, we?re selling everything we can make and we don?t see that changing anytime in the foreseeable future? said Orabone. ?Our plan was to double every quarter and so far we?ve been on track or ahead of that schedule.?
Helix is toothpick-sized pieces of twisted steel wire that mix directly into concrete
and add significant strength and crack resistance. Helix not only makes the
concrete 400 percent stronger, but also decreases the cost by 15 ? 40 percent .
Helix is now sold in more than ten countries and in a wide variety of applications,
such as reinforcement of commercial slabs, structural foundations, composite
decks in multi-story buildings and a number of precast products including
structural panels, pipes, and underground vessels, as well as for blast resistance in bank vaults.
For more information, click on HelixFiber.Com
