Hundreds of High-Paying Jobs Coming to Wake County in 2026
Forge Nano, Inc., a leading materials science company that enables peak performance products through atomic-level surface engineering, announced plans today to launch a lithium-ion battery manufacturing business called Forge Battery in North Carolina. The company and its investors plan for an initial investment of more than $165M to build a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Morrisville, bringing hundreds of high-paying jobs to Wake County. Forge Battery expects the facility to be operational in 2026.
Based in Colorado, Forge Nano improves the performance of materials used in batteries by applying specialized, atomic-scale coatings using proprietary industrial manufacturing equipment. The technology, called Atomic Armor, offers manufacturers protective nano-coating that can increase the battery’s energy density, improve safety and extend the useable lifetime.
Forge Battery intends to build and operate a battery manufacturing facility in Morrisville with Gigawatt hour (GWh) capacity. Forge Battery plans to utilize Forge Nano’s proprietary Atomic Armor technology to produce high-performance lithium-ion batteries that meet or beat performance targets of industry standard lithium-ion technology. Atomic Armor also expects to improve production efficiency and drive down Forge Battery cell costs due to the removal of expensive material additives used in the traditional lithium-ion manufacturing process. Forge Battery will supply these batteries to a wide range of domestic and international clients.
“We are thrilled to welcome Forge Battery to Morrisville,” said Morrisville Mayor TJ Cawley. “The Town of Morrisville prioritizes creating an inclusive, economically supportive environment for businesses. This new facility will create jobs, add to our diverse high-tech offerings, and enhance the quality of life in our community.”
Forge Battery joins a growing cluster of advanced manufacturing operations in Wake County. Anchored by innovative industries and a diverse economy, advanced manufacturing in the Triangle is growing faster than the national average, with nearly 200 companies employing 13,000 people. As manufacturing techniques shift toward highly specialized, adaptable and customizable production, the Triangle is home to many of the companies and technologies that make this shift possible. Paired with Wake County’s strong talent pool and workforce development initiatives, the region is a prime epicenter for the cluster.
“Lithium-ion cells utilizing Forge Nano’s Atomic Armor technology have exceeded our customer’s expectations, and in turn, increased demand for the technology that outstrips the current manufacturing capabilities,” says Paul Lichty, CEO of Forge Nano. “We are extremely excited to launch Forge Battery in Morrisville, where we intend to produce batteries for the world’s most demanding applications, while showcasing the power of Forge Nano’s ALD coating tools in a large manufacturing environment.”
The company selected CaMP Morrisville, located at 401 Southport Dr. in Morrisville for their new operation. CaMP Morrisville is a purpose-built cGMP facility designed to support life science and advanced manufacturing operations. The building was developed by Creative Manufacturing Properties, and is their first development in North Carolina, along with the planned CaMP Helix development in Holly Springs.
“The Forge Battery team has built a tremendous business and is well-positioned to continue its growth in the battery space,” said Chris Brewer of Creative Manufacturing Properties. “CMP is glad to be able to support Forge’s expansion. Our facility and the broader community stand to benefit long-term from Forge Nano’s presence in the region.”
The site falls within one of Wake County’s targeted growth areas. Targeted growth areas are communities that have not historically benefited from our region’s growth. These communities were identified by using an index provided by the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey that measures poverty, unemployment, demographics, housing, and education.
“Wake County is known worldwide as a hub for tech, biotech and advanced manufacturing,” said Board of Commissioners Chair Shinica Thomas. “Companies like Forge Battery want to grow here, because we have incredible partnerships between the public and private sectors that enable us to work better together. We also offer their employees excellent public schools, top-notch medical care and a quality of life that is second to none.”
Partnership is at the heart of bringing companies like Forge Battery to Wake County. Partners on this project include Wake County Economic Development, a program of the Raleigh Chamber, the Town of Morrisville, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Wake County Board of Commissioners, NC State University, and Capital Area Workforce Development.
Wake County Economic Development is the primary economic development organization for Wake County, providing economic development support for its 12 municipalities. As a program of the Raleigh Chamber, the organization proactively creates an environment in which Wake County can grow and thrive, resulting in new jobs and capital investment.
Forge Nano is changing the way that products perform. With our proprietary Atomic Armor™ technology, we enable product developers to engineer any material down to the individual atom. The superior surface coatings produced by our Atomic Armor™ process allow our partners to unlock peak performance of any material, optimizing products to last longer, cost less and increase safety. Our team of scientists have worked with an expansive portfolio of commercial partners to develop custom solutions to meet any need at any scale, from small-scale R&D and laboratory work to large-scale, high-volume production. Learn more at https://www.forgenano.com
Forge Nano Contact: Will McKenna, Brand Communications Director for Forge Nano | wmckenna@forgenano.com
