PLP, a global leader and key U.S. manufacturer of critical broadband infrastructure components, today 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’s state-of-the-art plants in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Ohio manufacture thousands of components used in critical communications and power networks worldwide, including industry-leading 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.
“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 has invested over $60 million in new facilities, capacity enhancements, and equipment upgrades that 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.
“Although PLP is already well-positioned as a prominent U.S. manufacturer with strong domestic supplier relationships and has many products that are compliant from day one, we are being diligent with our 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 Matthew Becker, Senior Market Manager of North America Communications at PLP.