Privately held and 118-year-old Charlotte Pipe & Foundry recently discovered a Shanghai, China-based company called Yitai Plastics had registered the Charlotte Pipe name, brand and logo in the country in 2010. Yitai Plastics had been producing, marketing and selling plastic pipe and fittings for sale in China and several Asian countries under the Charlotte Pipe name for years, complete with exterior signage and even business cards with the Charlotte Pipe logo on them.
Charlotte Pipe spokesperson Brad Muller recently was featured in a January Fox News report about China’s unfair trade and business practices that drew an outpouring of support for the Charlotte, North Carolina-based manufacturer. BNP Media Plumbing Group Editorial Director Mike Miazga caught up with Muller recently to talk about the situation that has caused unneeded headaches for the manufacturer of cast-iron and plastic pipe and fittings for plumbing applications.