Improving Business in the Wilmington Region

Polyhose Expansion at Pender Commerce Park Supports U.S. Customers

Polyhose, the India-based maker of industrial tubing and hoses, announced its initial plans for a U.S. location at Pender Commerce Park in late 2019. Less than five years later, the company began moving into Phase 2 of its strategy – doubling its initial footprint and adding workers. Phase 2 is now complete, and President Mo Millwala says the company’s Wilmington operations support the sustained growth of its U.S. business.

“The expansion is now complete,” Millwala says. “I strongly feel there is a level of confidence that our foundation is now set.”

Architects at Wilmington’s Becker Morgan Group worked with McKinley Building Company in executing Polyhose’s expanded facility, which was completed earlier this year. The project doubled the company’s existing 52,500-sq.-ft. assembly and logistics space.

In the years since announcing its $8 million investment at Pender Commerce Park, Polyhose has developed close ties with community partners, including economic developers and educational institutions. Millwala, for example, recently joined the board of directors of Wilmington Business Development, bringing an executive’s point-of-view to the process of attracting more foreign direct investment (FDI) into the region.

Millwala and his family previously lived in the New York City area, supporting Polyhose’s New Jersey office, which the company has since closed. “Our transition has been smooth largely because of WBD,” Millwala says. “As an international company it is so important to have that kind of support.” His experiences navigating the legal, corporate and immigration hurdles associated with setting up a U.S. outpost give him a formidable voice in helping recruit additional FDI. “I would love to see more international companies come to the area,” he says.

From its base at Pender Commerce Park, Polyhose has cultivated business across the U.S. Customers supported from its Wilmington facility include large construction and automotive OEMs like John Deere, Caterpillar and BMW. “You can even see Polyhose products at American gas stations,” Millwala says.

Polyhose’s U.S. workforce now totals 35, with 25 of those positions being in Wilmington. Others either work remotely or out of company locations in Texas and California. “Every year, we think we won’t add more human resources, but we ultimately do as we take on more business,” Millwala says. “We continue to hire.” The company has worked with Cape Fear Community College on local staffing and training, and Millwala says the company will look toward UNC Wilmington as a source for filling sales and professional positions. “We’ve encountered no problems with the region’s workforce, but now that we’re getting into more technical stuff, we may encounter challenges. So far, we’re very satisfied with the quality of our human resources,” he says.