Valve manufacturer readies move to Minden

American AVK, a Danish-owned company, appears ready to relocate from Fresno to Minden.

Dennis Carey, chief financial officer of American AVK, declined last week to comment until escrow closes on the land.

The parcel is located next to Meridian Business Park off Airport Road.

A 170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and U.S.

corporate headquarters should be completed by the first quarter of 2006, according to Ron Weisinger, executive director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority.

Phase two will be a 70,000-squarefoot expansion.

Construction begins the second quarter of this year with a move-in target set for the first quarter of next year.

American AVK will employ local contractors in building its new manufacturing plant, giving preference to members of the Northern Nevada Development Authority, said Weisinger.

The company currently employs more than 100 people in Fresno, and the company is encouraging all of them to move to northern Nevada.

With the move date still a year away, it's too early to predict how many people will be hired locally, said Weisinger.

Next month, volunteer members of the Northern Nevada Development Authority plan a visit to the Fresno plant to help facilitate the move.

American AVK's national sales force sells fire hydrants and the valves used for municipal underground infrastructure development.

It is a subsidiary of AVK Group,with 22 companies worldwide.