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On March 1, Tie Tek L.L.C. and Avangard Industries Ltd. announced plans to expand their strategic alliance formed in 2001.

Avangard Industries will procure and pre-process all thermoplastic raw materials — primarily recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) — TieTek uses to produce composite ties. Avangard Industries already has supplied TieTek about 20 million pounds of materials; the supplier plans to expand its capacity to provide TieTek more than 50 million pounds annually.

Next month, TieTek expects to begin producing ties at its new Marshall, Texas, plant. Avangard Industries will install a new HDPE processing plant in Marshall to produce enough material to meet TieTek's production demands.

A North American Technologies Group Inc. subsidiary, TieTek produces ties for freight and passenger railroads. The supplier's composite ties currently are used in more than 20 states and six countries.