Chinese metal pipe manufacturing firm to expand Clark unit

MANILA, Philippines - Chinese metal pipe manufacturing firm HLD Clark Metal Pipe Co. Inc. will expand its operations inside the Clark Freeport Zone.

Officials of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and HLD Clark recently signed a contract for its expansion project inside the Clark Freeport.

CDC president Benigno N. Ricafort and HLD Clark Metal Pipe Co. Inc. president Zhen Wei Feng signed a contract that will allow the company to lease another four hectares of open space for its additional production line.

Ricafort said the pipe firm is a subsidiary of Huludao City Steel Pipe Industrial Co. Ltd. which was founded in September 1993, specializing in producing high-frequency straight line welding pipes, being used as casing pipe for petroleum products.

For its expansion project, Ricafort added that HLD Clark will be manufacturing additional steel pipes for export.

In August 2009, Ricafort and Zhen signed a 25-year lease contract for the establishment of a metal pipe fabrication plant here. During the contract signing, Zhenwei said his company will invest more than $35 million for the Clark-based company.

“The project will be a first of its kind in Clark and among the biggest industrial investors who saw the potential of the Freeport as investment haven in Asia,” said Ricafort.

Today, HLD Clark is into the fabrication of carbon steel, carbon steel pipe and petroleum pipe. The Chinese firm has committed to employ 160 workers in its first year of operations here.

Ricafort said the pipe firm is a subsidiary of Huludao City Steel Pipe Industrial Co. Ltd., which was founded in September 1993, specializing in producing high-frequency straight-line welding pipes, being used as casing pipe for petroleum products.