Within its overall strategic shift away from the production and sale of commodity products, REHAU Oct. 30 said will exit municipal PVC pipe manufacturing and supply in Canada, as well as its business as a PEX plumbing systems supplier in the U.S. and Canada. 
   “This decision is part of a significant company-wide initiative to hone our construction focus on high-performance polymer systems, which provide quality, energy-efficient solutions,” said Dr. Kathleen Saylor, REHAU North America chief executive officer. 
   Production of municipal PVC pipe ended Oct. 31, with sales continuing through Mar. 31, 2009. The company will also support PEX plumbing systems orders through Mar. 31 and will provide full-scale customer assistance to ensure a smooth transition into alternative plumbing systems product lines thereafter.
   The company plans to direct its efforts toward establishing and further defining the market for integrated low-temperature heat source and distribution systems, including PEXa-based radiant heating, geothermal ground loop and solar thermal systems. 
   “We are pursing an emphasized focus on helping our customers understand the ways they can expand their product lines by logically integrating low-temperature heat source and distribution systems,” said Bill Johansen, business unit manager for REHAU’s heating and plumbing group.