Forge Nano broke ground August 19 on a major expansion of its lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Morrisville, North Carolina. The project will expand the company’s existing 100,000-square-foot operation into a campus approaching 315,000 square feet, with approximately three gigawatt-hours of annual battery-cell capacity planned at full production.
The company expects the facility to create more than 250 jobs across advanced manufacturing, engineering, operations, and technical functions. Production is scheduled to begin in 2028, following equipment installation and a multiyear manufacturing ramp. The project is supported by up to $100 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.
That mix of positions reflects an important hiring trend in advanced electronics manufacturing. High-volume battery production requires more than conventional production labor. Employers also need technicians and engineers who can operate automated equipment, monitor tightly controlled processes, inspect product quality, analyze production data, and troubleshoot interconnected manufacturing systems.
Forge Nano cited North Carolina’s universities, community colleges, technical programs, and established advanced manufacturing workforce as factors in selecting the location. Its partnership with Samsung SDI is also expected to bring manufacturing and operational expertise to the facility as it prepares for commercial production.
For workforce partners, the timeline creates an opportunity to act before hiring reaches full scale. Employers and educators can begin mapping roles, defining core competencies, and building training pathways in areas such as process control, automation, quality systems, equipment maintenance, battery safety, and data-driven manufacturing.
The practical takeaway extends beyond one factory. As U.S. investment grows across batteries, semiconductors, electronic assemblies, and AI infrastructure, manufacturers will increasingly compete for workers with overlapping technical skills. Regions that connect short-term training, work-based learning, and employer-defined skill standards will be better positioned to turn announced capacity into reliable production.
Source Note
Based primarily on Forge Nano’s August 19 announcement(Opens in a new tab/window), supported by the U.S. Department of Energy project summary(Opens in a new tab/window) and independent reporting from WRAL(Opens in a new tab/window).
