As design-builder on the project since the facility’s original construction, ARCO Design/Build is behind the expansion of Forge Nano’s lithium-ion battery manufacturing campus.
Morrisville, North Carolina — August 20, 2026 — ARCO Design/Build, the nation’s largest design-builder of industrial facilities and a Top 10-ranked Design-Build Firm according to Engineering News-Record (ENR), has served as design-builder for Forge Nano’s lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility at 401 Southport Drive in Morrisville, North Carolina, since the building’s original construction. Forge Nano marked the next phase of that facility’s growth with a groundbreaking ceremony on August 19, joined by federal, state, and local officials alongside the Forge Nano and ARCO teams.
The project, known as Forge Nano’s “America’s Battery Gigafactory,” involves expanding and renovating an existing manufacturing building to support Forge Battery’s lithium-ion battery production process. At full build-out, the expanded campus will grow toward nearly 315,000 square feet and is expected to help scale the facility’s annual battery-cell manufacturing capacity to up to 3 gigawatt-hours, supporting Forge Nano’s goal of establishing a secure, U.S.-based supply chain for batteries used in defense, aerospace, and commercial applications.
As design-builder, ARCO is managing the project’s architectural, structural, electrical, and fire protection design in coordination with project partners OneFourTwo Architecture, OneFourTwo Structural, and Scout and Co. as civil engineer, and is delivering the site work and construction needed for the building shell.
“Bringing a project like this to life takes close coordination between the owner, the design team, and the trade partners who build it,” said Ben Clements, Design/Build Manager. “We’re proud to support Forge Nano and Forge Battery as they build out this facility, and to see a project of this scale and importance take shape here in Morrisville.”
ARCO has supported Forge Nano’s Morrisville campus since its original construction, and the current expansion continues that long-standing relationship. The design-build approach allows ARCO to manage design, permitting, and construction as a single point of accountability, helping keep the project aligned with Forge Nano’s production timeline.
“We are proud to play a role in bringing this important project to life and helping build the infrastructure for what comes next,” the ARCO Design/Build team said following the groundbreaking. “Congratulations to the entire Forge Nano and Forge Battery team on this exciting milestone.”
About ARCO Design/Build
ARCO Design/Build is a national design-build construction firm delivering the strength, resources, and expertise of an award-winning national builder combined with the responsive, personalized service of a local partner. With more than 50 offices and over 2,00- associates across the country, ARCO provides fully integrated design, engineering, and construction services across industries, including food & beverage manufacturing, life sciences, aerospace and defense, aviation, mission-critical, cold storage, and warehouse distribution. ARCO is a 100% employee-owned company through its ESOP. To learn more, visit arcodb.com.
