PSA Opens Fifth Global Grading Facility in Plano
PSA has opened a new grading facility in Plano, Texas, marking the company’s fifth global location as it works to expand capacity amid sustained collector demand. The new site arrives as PSA continues to face a massive backlog, which now stands at 12.4 million cards, up 1.4 million from the company’s July 14, 2026 update.
The Plano facility is intended to add meaningful grading capacity and help PSA move closer to keeping pace with submissions. The company has made clear that demand remains elevated across the hobby, and the new Texas location is part of a broader effort to scale operations.
Backlog Continues to Grow
PSA’s latest backlog figure underscores just how much work remains. Even with continued expansion, the company is still processing a large volume of cards and memorabilia, and the queue has increased since the last published update.
The 12.4 million-card backlog is a reminder that grading demand has stayed strong despite higher prices and longer turnaround times. Recent GemRate reporting has pointed to record industry grading volume, with PSA leading by a wide margin.
According to the June GemRate report, PSA graded 2.5 million cards, a 74% increase year over year. That level of activity has helped drive the need for more infrastructure, but it has also shown how difficult it is for grading companies to fully catch up once demand surges.
Ryan Hodge Says the Opening Has Personal Meaning
PSA President Ryan Hodge said the Plano facility carries special significance because it is located in his hometown. In PSA’s announcement, Hodge tied the opening to both the company’s growth plans and the broader needs of collectors.
“As a Plano native, opening this facility in my hometown means a lot to me and it comes at a moment when it matters most for PSA and for the hobby. We continue to see record demand, and Plano expands our grading capacity to help us meet it. At the end of the day, our collectors trust us with the items that matter to them, and that trust is exactly why we’re investing to scale,” Hodge said.
The comments reflect PSA’s effort to frame the expansion not just as a business move, but as a response to collector expectations around service, reliability, and turnaround times.
Part of a Larger $200 Million Investment Plan
The Plano opening follows PSA’s March 14, 2026 announcement that it would invest $200 million in infrastructure to support global demand. That investment was presented as a response to the rapid growth in submissions the company has seen over the past several years.
PSA has already spent more than $100 million between 2021 and early 2026 to open facilities in New Jersey, Florida, and Tokyo. Even with those additions, the company has continued to face more submissions than it can quickly process, which has kept pressure on turnaround times and backlog levels.
The Plano site is the latest step in that expansion strategy. PSA says the new facility will help broaden its full suite of services and improve throughput for card submissions.
PSA Europe Is Next
PSA also plans to launch PSA Europe in Frankfurt, Germany, later this summer. The company expects that location to become operational as part of its ongoing international expansion.
That move would give PSA another regional hub as it continues to build out its global footprint. With facilities already operating in multiple markets, the company appears focused on spreading demand across more locations rather than relying on a single central operation.
Transparency Remains a Key Message
Alongside the expansion news, PSA has continued to emphasize transparency with collectors. The company regularly updates its backlog tracker and shares information through social media, even when the updates show that the queue is still growing.
That approach has become an important part of PSA’s communication strategy as collectors watch turnaround times closely. By publishing backlog data and operational updates, PSA has tried to keep customers informed about where things stand and what changes are coming next.
For collectors submitting cards for grading, the main question is whether the new Plano facility, along with the planned Frankfurt location, will finally help PSA make a noticeable dent in the backlog. The company’s latest expansion suggests it is betting that more capacity, better distribution, and continued investment will eventually bring processing times closer to what the hobby expects.
For now, the Plano opening is one of PSA’s most significant steps yet in that effort, arriving at a time when demand remains high and the backlog continues to climb.
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