Calgary-based APEL Extrusions has purchased 22.6 acres of land at the southeast corner of the new Loop 202 Freeway and Lower Buckeye Road. The property will be the site of a new 323,782-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility. Plans call for North America’s leading aluminum extrusion company to expand its West Coast Operations to Phoenix, Arizona in late 2022 with plans to move the company’s headquarters to follow. APEL Extrusions intends to hire approximately 200 employees at the new location and will begin recruiting for management, administrative, engineering, technical services and labor positions mid-year 2022.
“We are excited to be investing in a major aluminum extrusion facility in Phoenix to serve the industries in the Southwest who need a quality product, including finishing and anodizing, with short lead times and at competitive prices,” says Gerry Price, CEO of APEL Extrusions.
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“With our expansion to Phoenix, APEL will have the ability to serve every West Coast city in two days or less by truck and further compress our already industry leading lead times,” says Mike Flynn, President and COO of APEL Extrusions. “By installing the most advanced extrusion and finishing equipment in the North American industry, APEL will become the benchmark for those customers seeking the best in product quality, service and on-time performance from their extrusion supplier.” The Phoenix facility was strategically planned to help APEL better serve its West Coast customers and open the possibility of new customers and markets in the Southwest and points further East that have not been able to be efficiently reached up to now.
“Arizona is thrilled to welcome APEL Extrusion’s high-performance manufacturing facility to our state – the company’s second location outside of Canada,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “With our growing supply of skilled talent, low cost of doing business and strategic location, no state in the country is better suited to meet the needs of advanced manufacturers. My thanks go out to the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, City of Phoenix and all the partners involved in this exciting announcement, as well as to the team at APEL Extrusions for choosing our state. We look forward to partnering in their success for decades to come.”
Becknell Industrial sold the property to APEL and will serve as the developer for the new facility. Rob Martensen, SIOR, CCIM, Executive Vice President of Colliers in Arizona, handled the transaction. He worked in conjunction with John Krueger of the Colliers office in Sacramento, who was a site consultant and liaison between APEL and various municipalities and utilities.
“I’m excited to welcome APEL to Phoenix. The company’s arrival is another boost to Phoenix’s burgeoning manufacturing sector and a critical component to building our economic growth and success” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “Great companies like APEL will help achieve our goal for Phoenix to emerge from the pandemic stronger and better.”
“I am very excited that this project has reached this important milestone,” says Martensen. “APEL and Becknell have been great to work with. We were able to secure one of the last remaining infill sites with direct access to the new 202 freeway. I can’t wait to see the new factory when it is up and running.”
“Becknell is proud to have worked with APEL, Colliers, the City of Phoenix, various government agencies and numerous consultants in the design and approval process of this complex state-of-the-art facility,” says Pete Anderson, Becknell’s Executive Vice President – Investments and Development. “Everyone has been great to work with and Becknell is especially thankful for the efforts of Mike Flynn and Rob Martensen throughout the process. We look forward to constructing the facility and seeing it in operation.”
The new headquarters and manufacturing facility will allow the 45-year-old company to continue its creation of aluminum extrusions that are used in many different applications, including: consumer goods, HVAC systems, office walls and furniture, public transportation, recreational vehicles, residential and commercial construction, solar and truck bodies. APEL is investing in the most modern and capable extrusion, anodizing, wet paint, powder coat and fabrication equipment available in the industry. This will be the most modern extrusion finishing facility in North America. The company currently has operations in Calgary, Alberta and Coburg, Oregon.
The new APEL Extrusion facility is being designed and constructed by Becknell Industrial and will feature 12 drive-in doors, three dock doors, 30’ clear height and two crane bays. Plans call for construction to begin this spring with operations commencing at the end of 2022.
