MINDA injects $4.5 million to scale up North American intralogistics hub

Strategic growth in the US manufacturing sector

MINDA North America has officially broken ground on the first phase of a $4.5 million (€3.8 million) expansion at its production facility in Granite Falls, North Carolina. The investment marks a significant operational milestone for the German-based intralogistics and automation specialist, signaling a clear shift from merely maintaining a regional presence to aggressively scaling its domestic manufacturing capabilities for the North American corrugated and solid wood sectors.

Robert Falch, Chairman and Managing Partner of the MINDA Group, alongside Charles Martin, President and CEO of MINDA North America, led the groundbreaking ceremony. The event was attended by local officials from the Town of Granite Falls and Caldwell County, as well as project execution partners Neill Grading and Construction and Lackey Grading. The physical expansion of the Granite Falls site is designed to directly support the company's growing order book and reduce lead times for heavy-duty material handling systems.

The intralogistics bottleneck in modern corrugated plants

To understand the timing of this $4.5 million capital injection in mid-2026, one must look at the current operational pressures inside North American corrugated board plants. As converting lines become faster and digital printing integration becomes standard, the bottleneck has shifted from the printing and die-cutting processes to material handling. Plants require highly automated, robust floor conveyors, transfer cars, and intelligent storage systems to keep WIP (Work-in-Progress) moving without human intervention.

Since acquiring Deal Metal Fabrication in 2020 to establish MINDA North America LLC, the company has been integrating its European engineering standards with US-based fabrication. This current expansion phase allows MINDA to manufacture a larger percentage of its complex conveyor modules and automation frameworks directly in North Carolina. For corrugated packaging producers, this translates to reduced transatlantic shipping risks, faster installation timelines, and a more responsive localized supply chain for critical spare parts and system upgrades.

Strengthening the North American footprint

The Granite Falls facility has grown steadily, leveraging the region's strong industrial workforce. By expanding the physical footprint and upgrading fabrication equipment, MINDA is positioning itself to handle larger, multi-million dollar turnkey intralogistics projects entirely from its US base. This localized approach is becoming increasingly vital as North American packaging converters demand closer collaboration during the design and implementation phases of major plant overhauls.

• Investment scale: $4.5 million (€3.8 million) allocated for Phase 1 expansion.
• Key leadership: Driven by Group Chairman Robert Falch and North America CEO Charles Martin.
• Market focus: Enhanced production of automated material handling systems for the corrugated board and solid timber industries.
• Local partnerships: Construction executed by regional specialists Neill Grading and Construction and Lackey Grading.

As the corrugated industry continues to consolidate and modernize in 2026, equipment suppliers that can offer both high-end automation engineering and reliable, localized manufacturing will capture the lion's share of capital expenditure budgets. MINDA's physical expansion in North Carolina is a direct response to this market reality.

Expanding domestic manufacturing capacity in the US is a smart, necessary move for European equipment suppliers looking to dominate the North American corrugated sector. Will localized production of intralogistics equipment become the standard requirement for North American converters when selecting their automation partners? Follow The Paper for daily news, market signals and key updates from the global paper, corrugated and packaging industry. — Sigue toda la actualidad del sector en www.thepaper.ai