Viega LLC has added production lines to its Kansas manufacturing operations, an investment which will quicken distribution and allow the company to move more production from Germany to the United States.

The expansion is a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing plant which will create a to-be-determined number of manufacturing jobs.

“Viega has steadily invested in and grown its Kansas operations,” said Viega COO Robert Boots. “These latest expansions will allow us to increase production of our ProPress copper line and get shipments to distributors and customers faster than ever.”

When fully operational, the new plant will house additional ProPress production lines of various products and sizes. Many of those products have been manufactured in Germany, but Viega moved some production here in order to accommodate growth in the North American market.

“We’re excited to be able to bring additional manufacturing to the heartland,” said Eric Wicker, director of manufacturing. “Our Kansas workforce has proven that it can compete with the best in the world and we’re proud to realize our long-term goal of moving some ProPress production here.”

Viega LLC, which is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, has more than 700,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space on its 127-acre campus in McPherson. The Kansas operation employs about 300 people, but that number is expected to grow to 450 within a few years.