Viega North America, a U.S. manufacturer of plumbing, hydronic heating and commercial piping products, has relocated its national headquarters from Bedford, MA, to Wichita, KS. The company has designated McPherson, KS, as its North American manufacturing site and plans to construct a 450,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing, warehouse and office facility along Interstate 135 northeast of the city.

The new facilities in McPherson will allow the extrusion, molding and warehouse operations to be combined. Viega acquired Vanguard Piping Systems, a cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) manufacturer, and an affiliated company, Midtec of America, an injection molding company, last October. The three facilities currently occupied by the extrusion and injection molding divisions will be vacated in mid-2007 when the new facility in McPherson is completed.

The company plans to begin construction of new offices in Wichita, KS, within the next year, according to Dan Schmierer, chief executive officer of Viega North America. The new office will include a training center and display area to showcase many of Viega's 12,000 products.

Viega NA also has a warehouse in New England, a national training center in Nashua, NH, and plans to open a distribution center in the western United States.

Viega North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Viega GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Attendorn, Germany.