NN Announces Acquisition to Further Growth in Electric Grid and Data Center
CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NN, Inc. ("NN" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:NNBR), a global diversified industrial company that engineers and manufactures high-precision components and assemblies with six sigma quality today announced that it has acquired the large-scale automated plating operations from a leading global provider of electrical infrastructure solutions. This seller is an existing customer which is moving from in-house manufacturing to outsourced operations with this decision.
The equipment acquisition will enable NN to significantly expand its processing capabilities in silver-plated busbars and terminals among other capabilities, which are ideal electrical components for electric grid and data center equipment. This further enables NN to broaden its market aperture on growth in this area, its second largest end market.
The plating line being acquired is substantially larger and more automated than NN's current capabilities, featuring large plating baths designed for high-volume, low-cost production. The automated plating line will enable NN to process larger parts representing a transformative expansion of its product offering in terms of size, volume, and type of plated metal products that NN will be able to deliver to its electrical customers.
NN expects this new capability to be operational at an existing facility in the fall of 2026. Financially, the new business won from this line will be inclusive to the Company's prior guidance of $70 million to $80 million of new business wins in 2026. The capex associated with this project is inclusive to the company's capex guidance of $20 million to $22 million in 2026. The Company is funding this strategic addition from operating cash flow.
The key end markets that will be targeted with this new capability are electric grid equipment and data center equipment. The Company is initially focused on switchgear assemblies used in emergency power generation for the grid, hospitals, and data centers.
Harold Bevis, President and Chief Executive Officer of NN, Inc., commented, "This equipment acquisition is another stepping stone for NN's strategic pivot into certain high-value verticals that fit its operational footprint. We are adding capabilities that open up the aperture for growth in the target markets of electric grid and data center. Our plating business is known in the industry as GMF and is one of the highest gross margin plants in the NN portfolio. This is accretive business for NN. The return on investment is consistent with the ROIs that we target for new business."
Bevis continued, "This is precisely the type of high-value, capital-efficient growth opportunity that we are focused on securing as we execute our sales growth plan. GMF has a strong reputation for quality, on-time delivery, and deep expertise in the science of electroplating. This business is key to growth in electronics, defense, electric grid, and data center. This equipment is a logical addition to our capabilities and will unlock our prospecting into larger parts, higher volume parts, bigger programs, and more customers. The equipment was acquired from a long-term NN customer, that intends to repurpose its reclaimed floor space as data center and grid infrastructure markets take off, so this is a win-win for all parties."
"This acquisition is consistent with NN's broader strategic transformation plan, which has already delivered three consecutive years of improved adjusted EBITDA. The Company has exited dilutive, lower-value business and is actively replacing that rationalized volume with higher-margin, accretive new growth through engineering-led new products and new program wins. NN has secured more than $200 million of new awards from its technology-based new business development program, and NN expects to launch approximately 100 awarded programs during 2026. Launched in mid-2023 under new management, the new business program is focused on leveraging the Company's technology and operational footprint strengths into new areas. The Company is guiding to a fourth consecutive year of improved adjusted EBITDA and a materially higher amount of operating cash flow."
Bevis continued, "NN has a couple of other small acquisitions that we are focused upon and have been working on for about a year. They are also focused on non-automotive, high-value capability expansion and profitable growth. Over the last two years most of our operating cash flow was consumed by four plant closures and severing about 800 people, which was tough and brutal for those impacted but necessary for NN's transition.
We have turned the page onto a new chapter and have a balanced approach to our revenue growth and repositioning. We are pursuing a few target markets that require safety critical features on linchpin metal parts and assemblies. We are extremely committed to a common engineering and manufacturing platform that can deliver value-added metal part solutions in several safety-critical end markets that offer high margins due to delivering high value. These include:
- High-value auto parts – our #1 end market
- Electric grid and data center parts – our #2 market, on a plan to become our #1 market
- Defense, weapons, and electronic parts
- Medical equipment parts
Bevis concluded, "We are intentionally pricing higher on low-value, low-margin business like commodity auto. Where we can, we are repurposing existing equipment, but when we must buy new equipment, we are doing so. We do not keep these kinds of records but 2026 will probably be the most amount of new equipment installed in our company. And it is all pre-loaded with new awards. The key enablers in our success are our engineering skills and our trade secrets regarding making metals deliver exceptional functionality at scale. This is code for world-class six sigma quality processes designed around error-proof, fail-proof design-for-manufacturability. We do this through our own knowledge, co-development with our customers, and emerging AI assistance. 2026 is shaping up to be a fun year focused upon engineering-driven revenue growth."
ABOUT GMF
GMF has supported high-reliability programs across defense, aerospace, medical, and industrial markets for more than 50 years. The division provides manual rack, barrel, and vibratory plating, stainless steel electropolishing, and a broad range of precious and non-precious metal finishes that meet stringent military and commercial specifications. GMF holds NADCAP accreditation, ISO 13485:2016, and ISO 9001:2015 certifications, and processes millions of parts annually across more than 50,000 square feet of production space. The division is noted for its reputation in high-quality production, on-time delivery, and a 50% hit rate on quoted new business, which is well above industry averages. For more information, please visit www.genmetal.com.
ABOUT NN
NN, Inc., a global diversified industrial company, combines advanced engineering and production capabilities with in-depth materials science expertise to design and manufacture high-precision components and assemblies for a variety of markets on a global basis. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, NN has facilities in North America, Europe, South America, and China. For more information about the Company and its products, please visit www.nninc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains express and implied forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding NN's pursuit of new end markets, NN's competitive position in the data center market, the success of NN's investments to meet the requirements of awarded business, and expected new business wins for 2026 and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "growth," "guidance," "intend," "may," "will," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project", "trajectory" or other similar words, phrases or expressions. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are outside of management's control and that may cause actual results to be materially different from such statements. Such factors include, among others, general economic conditions and economic conditions in the industrial sector; material changes in the costs and availability of raw materials; the level of our indebtedness; our ability to secure, maintain or enforce patents or other appropriate protections for our intellectual property; and cyber liability or potential liability for breaches of our or our service providers' information technology systems or business operations disruptions. The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in the Company's filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict their occurrence or how they will affect the Company. The Company qualifies all forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
Investor Relations:
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