On August 16, broadband infrastructure component manufacturer Preformed Line Products (PLP) announced that it has self-certified several of its core products as compliant with the BEAD program’s Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements, making it the first fiber optic closure and pole line hardware manufacturer to do so.
PLP reports that it began investing more than $60 million in new facilities, capacity enhancements, and equipment upgrades for its U.S. manufacturing operations in 2022. The company now offers an ever-expanding list of BABA-compliant products, which includes enclosures, iron/steel products, and other network equipment.
Matthew Becker, PLP’s senior market manager of North America communications, said many of the company’s products have been compliant from day one, and PLP is being diligent with its certification process.
“While we currently self-certify hundreds of core products, we anticipate this number to quickly grow into the thousands as we continuously evaluate existing SKUs and bring new domestic production resources online,” said Becker in a press release.
John Hofstetter, PLP’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, said in the same press release, “As a leading U.S. manufacturer of many components that require Build America, Buy America compliance, we are committed to ensuring that our customers and their infrastructure projects adhere to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s (IIJA) BABA mandate, not only because it supports American jobs and the overall economy, but also because it aligns with our long-standing pledge to provide our customers with the highest-quality American-made products backed by unparalleled local support.”
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