A Milwaukee company specializing in fabricating metal for data centers is renovating a building near Thomson.
With a booming demand for both data center and power-related equipment, Mayville Engineering Co. announced Thursday that it plans to invest up to $30 million to expand McDuffie County's former Augusta Coating and Manufacturing facility, keep its current workers and add more production capabilities.
MEC expects the 138,000-square-foot site, at 1048 Superior Way just outside Thomson, to help generate about $50 million in additional yearly sales by 2028 and provide about 140 jobs.
MEC President and CEO Jag Reddy said in a statement that the company needs
more space because customer demand is growing faster than its current factories can handle. Being closer to customers in the Southeast will help MEC work with them more efficiently and deliver products faster, he said.
Among other products, MEC produces server racks, power distribution housings and other custom enclosures for data centers.
Data centers contain servers that store and process information for websites, apps, cloud services and artificial intelligence that people worldwide use daily.
"In the data center and critical power industry, performance depends on precision," according to MEC's website. "MEC delivers high-quality, value-added metal fabrications and assemblies that meet the exacting demands of continuous operation."
MEC has estimated that more than $125 million in potential business opportunities await in the Southeast. Thomson's proximity is expected to reduce shipping costs, shorten delivery times and improve communication.
The company already has won about $90 million in new projects during the first half of 2026.
The new facility is expected to start contributing revenue in 2027, with growth increasing as new equipment is installed and production ramps up.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Data center demand drives $30M expansion near Thomson
