Kanthal, a global leader in industrial heating technology and resistance materials, has inaugurated a new service center in Concord, North Carolina, marking a significant expansion of its presence in the United States.
The move comes amid growing demand from industries such as electronics, glass, and steel for advanced high-temperature heating solutions. To address this demand, the company has expanded its manufacturing capacity for Globar® silicon carbide heating elements at the Concord facility. These elements support electrified heating processes reaching temperatures of up to 2,950°F and offer a viable alternative to fossil fuel-based systems. By enabling electrification, they help manufacturers improve energy efficiency, enhance safety, achieve cleaner operations, and strengthen process control, while significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The expansion aligns with broader industry efforts to decarbonize manufacturing. According to the Congressional Budget Office, combustion emissions account for 573 million metric tons, approximately 75 percent, of total emissions in the manufacturing sector. Electrification of heating processes represents a key opportunity to reduce this footprint.
Kanthal has reported increasing global demand for its Globar® silicon carbide heating elements, driven by both the need for high-temperature performance and customer commitments to lowering emissions. The newly established service center is expected to enhance service capabilities and reduce lead times for customers across the U.S.
Robert Stål, President of Kanthal, noted that the company has served the U.S. market since the 1930s and is already supporting customers from the Concord site with a broad portfolio. The addition of Globar® production allows the company to leverage existing infrastructure while strengthening its local footprint in a region experiencing rapid growth in advanced manufacturing.
The Concord service center forms part of an approximately $11 million investment program, which also includes a major expansion of Kanthal’s primary Globar® production facility in Perth, Scotland. The Scottish site has been upgraded with an additional 19,000 square feet of manufacturing space, new equipment, an optimized layout, and expanded warehousing. Together, the two facilities are expected to boost overall production capacity by around 40 percent.
The Concord facility produces a range of products, including metallic heating elements, Tubothal® heating elements, high-temperature tubes, and Fibrothal® heating elements. Previously, U.S. customers relied on Globar® elements supplied from Scotland, but the new setup enables more localized support.
Simon Lile, President of the Heating Systems business unit, emphasized that the Concord site incorporates advanced technology that allows for flexible product configurations tailored to customer furnace setups and ordering cycles. This results in faster quoting, improved responsiveness, and shorter delivery times aligned with customer needs in the U.S. market.
The development builds on Kanthal’s earlier consolidation in 2022, when the company merged operations from three U.S. locations into a single, state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution center in Concord.
History in the United States
Kanthal’s origins date back to 1916, when Hans von Kantzow discovered that iron with high aluminum content could withstand extreme temperatures while offering superior resistance. During a 1925 visit to the U.S., he recognized the commercial potential of this innovation. The Kanthal® alloy was patented in 1926, and the company was officially established in 1931.
In 1935, sales manager Alfred Rapp entered the U.S. market through a partnership with Jelliff, which distributed Kanthal products for industrial and consumer applications, including automotive components for Ford Motor Company.
Kanthal established its first U.S. subsidiary in the 1950s and has since expanded through a combination of direct sales and partnerships.
The company broadened its technological capabilities through several acquisitions, including the Globar® trademark for silicon carbide heating elements in 1994, originally developed by Carborundum in the late 19th century. Additional acquisitions—such as Driver-Harris alloys, H.P. Reid, MRL Industries, Custom Electric Manufacturing, and Thermaltek—further strengthened its expertise across high-performance heating applications.
Today, Kanthal operates as part of the Alleima Group, which was spun off from Sandvik Group in 2022. The company continues to play a key role in advancing industrial decarbonization, including the development of large-scale electric process gas heaters for fossil-free steel, cement, and petrochemical production.
For more information visit www.kanthal.com
