Forsyth County will soon have a new research and testing facility that will act as a hub for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
New York-based ABM Industries is planning to build a 114,000-square-foot warehouse in Cumming that will host the company’s EV training and testing operations. Called the ABM Electrification Center, the hub will begin construction in July and open by the end of this year.
Scott Salmirs, president and CEO of ABM, said in a news release that charging infrastructure has to be prepared for the anticipated widespread adoption and increased prevalence of EVs, which Georgia and the federal government have attempted to spearhead.
“As the country continues to embrace vehicle electrification at unprecedented rates, it’s critical for companies to establish the necessary infrastructure and interoperability of new technologies to support this growth,” Salmirs said.
Founded in 1909, ABM is a publicly traded company with more than 100,000 employees. The company acquired Forsyth County-based RavenVolt, a microgrid system and technology provider, last year for $170 million. That led ABM to choose to build its new technology hub adjacent to RavenVolt’s headquarters off Ronald Reagan Boulevard.
Credit: ABM
Credit: ABM
ABM, which has installed nearly 30,000 EV charging stations, said the new facility will feature on-site training, research areas for testing new charging technologies and 43,000 square feet of storage for various chargers. A company representative told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that at least 200 employees will be based out of the facility once it opens in this year’s fourth quarter.
