PLP, a manufacturer of broadband infrastructure components, has announced that it is the first fiber optic closure and pole line hardware manufacturer to self-certify several of its core products as compliant with the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act requirements of the U.S. BEAD Program.
The BABA Act, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—mandates strict U.S. domestic sourcing requirements for all related programs, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which allocates $42.5 billion in federal grants to U.S. states and territories for the planning, deployment, and adoption of projects and activities that provide high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved communities.
“For nearly 80 years, PLP has been a strong advocate for U.S. manufacturing and American workers, ever since its founding in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1947,” the company said in a press release. The company’s plants in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Ohio manufacture components used in communications and power networks, including fiber optic splice closures, pedestals, and pole line hardware devices.
“These BABA-compliant products are essential for future U.S. infrastructure projects, including those funded by the BEAD Program and other critical infrastructure initiatives,” says PLP.
“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 IIJA’s 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,” said John Hofstetter, Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations at PLP.
Since the beginning of 2022, PLP says it has invested over $60 million in new facilities, capacity enhancements, and equipment upgrades to “further strengthen” its U.S. manufacturing operations, including a recent $27 million expansion project at the company’s Rogers, Arkansas manufacturing plant and the acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Peninsula, Ohio.