Fratco to Create 50–60 New Jobs with New Fort Payne Manufacturing Plant

Fort Payne-Franco Inc., a family-owned manufacturer of corrugated plastic pipe, has announced plans to open a new facility in Fort Payne—bringing an estimated 50 to 60 new jobs to DeKalb County.

Headquartered in Francesville, Indiana, Fratco has been in operation since 1923 and currently operates multiple plants across Indiana and Illinois. The Fort Payne location will be the company’s first ground-up facility in the Southeast, a strategic move aimed at meeting growing demand across the region.

Company officials said the decision followed an extensive multi-state site selection process, with Fort Payne chosen for its skilled workforce, strong infrastructure, and outstanding community support.

The new 42,000-square-foot facility is being custom-built to optimize efficiency, production flow, and future scalability. It will initially produce single- and double-wall corrugated pipe ranging from 3 to 18 inches in diameter, with plans to expand capacity to 48 inches in later phases.

“The South isn’t just growing — it’s evolving,” said Bill Champion, Fratco’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are thrilled to become part of that transformation.”

Local officials welcomed the announcement, calling the investment a major win for Fort Payne and DeKalb County’s manufacturing sector. Construction of the new plant is already underway, with operations expected to begin in the near future.