Kanthal expands US manufacturing footprint with North Carolina service centre to meet electrification demand
Kanthal has strengthened its position in advanced manufacturing with the inauguration of a new service centre in Concord, North Carolina, aimed at scaling production and deployment of high-temperature electric heating technologies.
The investment reflects growing demand from sectors including electronics, glass and steel, where manufacturers are seeking to electrify heat-intensive processes and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. At the centre of this shift is Kanthal’s Globar® silicon carbide heating element technology, which enables industrial heating applications of up to 2,950°F.
By replacing combustion-based systems, these electric heating elements offer manufacturers a pathway to lower emissions, improved energy efficiency and tighter process control, factors that are becoming increasingly critical as industry faces mounting pressure to decarbonise.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, combustion emissions account for 573 million metric tonnes, or 75% of total emissions in the manufacturing sector. Electrification of industrial heat is therefore seen as a key lever in reducing the sector’s carbon footprint.
The Concord facility will play a dual role in both manufacturing and service delivery. In addition to producing a range of heating solutions—including metallic and Fibrothal® elements—the site now supports local supply of Globar® components, which were previously manufactured and shipped exclusively from Kanthal’s production hub in Perth, Scotland.
Robert Stål, President of Kanthal, said the move builds on the company’s long-standing presence in the U.S. market.
“We have served the U.S. market since the 1930s. We are already supporting our customers from Concord with a broad portfolio, and adding Globar® to the mix allows us to leverage existing infrastructure. The opening of our Concord service center is the next step in strengthening our local presence in the region which is experiencing a surge in advanced manufacturing.”
– Robert Stål, President of Kanthal.
The new centre is part of a broader $11m investment programme, which also includes a significant expansion of the Perth facility. Upgrades there include an additional 19,000 square feet of manufacturing space, new equipment and an optimised production layout. Together, the two sites are expected to increase overall production capacity by around 40%.
Beyond capacity gains, the Concord site introduces new manufacturing flexibility. Enhanced production technologies enable the facility to tailor heating element configurations to specific furnace designs and customer order cycles, improving responsiveness across quoting, production and delivery.
Simon Lile, President of Kanthal’s Heating Systems business unit, said the upgraded operation is designed to align more closely with U.S. customer requirements, reducing lead times and enabling more agile manufacturing support.
The expansion follows Kanthal’s 2022 consolidation of its U.S. operations into the Concord site, creating a centralised, state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution hub. With the addition of Globar® production capabilities, the facility now serves as a critical node in the company’s global manufacturing network, supporting both regional demand and the broader shift toward electrified industrial processes.
