A Belgian industrial storage and automation company has officially switched on its first American factory in Calhoun, Georgia, a 240,000-square-foot plant in Gordon County that's expected to employ roughly 200 workers once it reaches full capacity. stow Group entered production at the site in May 2026, and the facility is now churning out punch and roll-formed teardrop racking systems built to U.S. codes, including RMI 2023 standards.
The Calhoun plant marks stow Group's first manufacturing foothold in the United States, according to DC Velocity. As Material Handling Wholesaler reports, the company has filled 120 of the roughly 200 positions expected once the facility is running at full tilt, with an estimated investment in the plant itself — excluding buildings — of $40 million to $50 million. The project was first announced in 2025 and was publicly announced at MODEX in Atlanta in April 2026, before production began the following month.
From Overseas Shipping to Georgia-Made Steel
stow Group says shifting production stateside should meaningfully speed up delivery for U.S. warehouse operators. Imported racking previously carried lead times of 12 to 15 weeks, but the company expects domestically produced racking to ship in roughly 6 to 9 weeks instead, a change it says will mean faster project timelines and greater operational flexibility for customers. The same report notes that U.S.-produced racking from the Calhoun line is already being delivered and installed across projects nationwide.
The company has also framed the move as a hedge against broader supply-chain pressures. stow Group said domestic production strengthens supply chain resilience and that U.S. customers will be shielded from ocean freight disruption, tariff volatility and currency fluctuation. The Calhoun facility is equipped with fully automated production lines and robotic precision welding technology, the same account notes, and by the end of 2026 it's expected to process approximately 100 million pounds of steel annually, per the same account.
A Company With Deep International Roots
stow Group is a Belgian industrial storage and automation solution provider, and the Calhoun plant represents its eighth manufacturing facility worldwide, joining a network of seven European production sites, according to the dossier of reporting on the opening. The company's own website, however, describes stow Group as running 10 factories and 29 sales offices serving more than 60 countries — a discrepancy that hasn't been reconciled in available coverage. Either way, the company's production network supplies racking solutions to customers in more than 60 countries.
CEO Jos De Vuyst said Calhoun is stow Group's first U.S. plant and will not be its last, signaling that the company intends to capture significant market share in the U.S. and invest accordingly. He added that stow Group is committed to the North American market for the long term. The company has described the Calhoun investment as a significant step in American advanced manufacturing and a commitment to the North American market.
More Growth Reportedly on the Way
stow Group is already investing in the next phase of its North American infrastructure, including capacity expansion in Georgia, according to the American Journal of Transportation. The company is expanding its U.S. presence while serving customers in logistics, food and beverage, life sciences and other industries, per Business Facilities, which had earlier reported the project as a planned $36 million investment — a figure that predates the $40 million to $50 million estimate later cited for the facility excluding buildings, as reported by The Fabricator.
For Gordon County, the math is straightforward: a European manufacturer with a global footprint chose Georgia for its first American production line, and local hiring is already underway with 120 jobs filled. Whether the Calhoun plant becomes a springboard for the broader expansion stow Group's leadership has signaled remains something regional economic development watchers will likely track closely in the months ahead.
