Rehlko Announces €12 Million Expansion of Power Control & Distribution Manufacturing Facility in Cholet, France
Strategic investment scales Cholet production facility by over 50%, reducing lead time by 30% to meet growing digital infrastructure demand
MILWAUKEE, Wis – July 14, 2026: Rehlko, a global energy resilience leader delivering innovative solutions across industrial energy systems, powertrain technologies, and home energy applications, today announced the strategic expansion of its Power Control & Distribution manufacturing facility in Cholet, France. The milestone, recognized during a visit by President and CEO Brian Melka on June 3-4, 2026, will significantly enhance Rehlko’s ability to meet surging demand across data center expansion, electrification, and energy resilience.
The Cholet facility expansion increases the site's physical manufacturing space by 56% and is expected to reduce lead times by 30% upon completion in November 2026. The project will create over 100 new, local jobs and represents a €12 million five-year investment in Rehlko's European manufacturing footprint.
“This expansion reflects the trust our customers place in us and the confidence we have in our team’s ability to deliver with speed and at scale,” said Brian Melka, Chief Executive Officer of Rehlko. “Our continued investment in Cholet is demonstrative of Rehlko’s commitment to building the operational capacity to meet the world’s growing demand for reliable, resilient power today and for decades to come.”
The Cholet facility expansion positions Rehlko to capture long-term growth across Europe tied to artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and grid resilience. As hyperscale data centers and AI-driven workloads create unprecedented demands on mission-critical power infrastructure, Rehlko’s Power Control & Distribution business occupies a distinct position in that it goes beyond traditional backup power, actively managing and optimizing electrical flow under all conditions, not just outages.
Power Control & Distribution's systems are engineered to control and distribute power from the grid under normal operating conditions and execute a seamless, uninterrupted transition to an alternate source the moment grid supply is compromised. This continuous, always-on energy management capability integrates directly into Rehlko's broader data center solutions architecture. Their solutions, such as low voltage main switchboards, generator switchboards and control systems can be housed in electrical and generator e-POD platforms. Along with Rehlko’s KD SeriesTM gensets, this offers data center developers a single, fully integrated power infrastructure package.
The Cholet expansion directly increases Rehlko's capacity to supply end-to-end solutions and introduces a full suite of advanced manufacturing and clean energy management technologies including automated production lines, connected wiring systems, intelligent assembly tools, advanced engineering software integration and energy storage capabilities, all designed to maximize production efficiency, improve quality and accelerate project delivery
Rehlko’s Power Control & Distribution business has specialized in energy distribution and control infrastructure for more than four decades, serving environments where power must remain continuously available, including under the most demanding operating conditions. Its solutions are deployed in data centers, hospitals, water treatment plants, nuclear facilities, airports, offshore wind farms, public transit systems, and landmark infrastructure including the Eiffel Tower.
The Cholet facility has designed and manufactured low-voltage main switchboards, generator switchboards, generator control panels, DC railway equipment, and automation and control systems for more than 45 years, fully compliant with IEC 61439 standards. With 290 employees, including an engineering office of 50 engineers and technicians, and a COFRAC-certified testing laboratory, Cholet plays a central role in ensuring energy continuity for vital infrastructure across France and Europe.
This investment is part of a broader capacity build-out that spans the United States, Europe, and Rehlko’s global supply ecosystem, reflecting a disciplined approach to scaling throughput, accelerating backlog conversion, and deepening the company’s ability to serve customers at scale.
About Rehlko
A global leader in energy resilience, Rehlko delivers innovative energy solutions that sustain and improve life through industrial energy systems, powertrain technologies, and home energy, with control, resilience, and innovation. Leveraging the strength of its portfolio of businesses — Power Systems, Clarke Energy, Home Energy, and Engines—and its more than a century of industry leadership, Rehlko provides power where and when the grid cannot. Rehlko goes beyond function and individual recovery to create better lives, communities, and a more durable and energy-resilient future. Learn more at rehlko.com.
About Power Control & Distribution
Power Control & Distribution designs and manufactures integrated electrical control and distribution systems that manage, distribute, and optimize power for mission-critical infrastructure. Its solutions enable reliable, scalable power delivery for data centers, industrial facilities, and other high-availability environments. Learn more at powercontrol.rehlko.com
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