Pipes and fittings specialist Pipelife (Neudorf / Austria; www.pipelife.com) has started production at its new factory 130 km southwest of Moscow. The 50:50 joint venture between Solvay (Brussels / Belgium; www.solvay.com) and Wienerberger (Vienna, Austria; www.wienerberger.com) will produce a full range of plastic pipe systems for water distribution, sewage networks and in-house products.

The newly-equipped facility will produce advanced products in polypropylene, polyethylene and vinyls, to cover the growing needs of the Russian customers. The unit will initially employ around 60 people. Pipelife operates in 29 countries with 30 factories and 2,800 employees producing pro-forma sales of EUR 823m in 2006.