Fabritex Named a 2026 Georgia Small Business Rock Star

Hart County has reason to celebrate. Fabritex, the Hartwell-based metal fabrication company owned and operated by Lee Adams, has been named one of Georgia's 2026 Small Business Rock Stars by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The recognition, featured in the May 2026 issue of Georgia Trend Magazine, highlights five Georgia businesses that exemplify the innovation, resilience, and community investment that define the state's small business economy.

The Fabritex story is rooted in Hart County entrepreneurship going back generations. Lee's father, Andy Adams, launched a fabrication business after deciding he could build a better trampoline, and brought young Lee along every step of the way, from counting springs on the shop floor to navigating sales trips across the Southeast. That early immersion in the family business shaped the work ethic and risk tolerance that would eventually define Fabritex as a company.

In 1989, the Adams family made a significant commitment to Hart County, constructing a 110,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Hartwell just as the business was diversifying under the Fabritex name. Lee, who holds a degree in ceramic engineering from Clemson University, was on-site helping build it. He has led the company ever since.

Over the decades, Fabritex has demonstrated a remarkable ability to identify and pursue new markets. Fabrication expertise developed for trampoline manufacturing evolved into production of wire carriers and tubular frames for the shipping industry, followed by contracts with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for stainless steel erosion control mesh. The company also manufactures customized metalwork for hospitality structures at major sporting events, including stops on the PGA Tour.

Today, Fabritex employs 70 people and operates with a straightforward value proposition: if a problem involves metal, they can solve it.

This kind of statewide recognition reflects what the Hart County business community has long known. Fabritex is a model of what local manufacturing can look like when vision, adaptability, and deep community roots come together. Congratulations to Lee Adams and the entire Fabritex team on this well-deserved honor.