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Merrick Engineering, a manufacturer of plastic hangers and other home accessories, is reportedly moving its headquarters to Texas from Corona as part of an expansion in Waco.
Various media reports in Texas say Merrick will spend $33 million to build a 400,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility with corporate offices in Waco.
It’s unclear the fate of Merrick’s Corona employees or operations that are based at a high-profile building at the 91 and I-15 interchange. Merrick officials did not immediately return calls seeking their comment on the plans.
The company whose products are sold at many major retailers was founded in 1973, has annual sales of $75 million, and a total workforce of 600, according to the employer-review website Zippia. Merrick, that boasts of a made-in-USA product line, also has a production facility in Clarksburg, W.V.
“We are very excited for Merrick’s new expansion and the opportunity the city of Waco has provided us to grow once more,” Ali Jawady, operations manager for Merrick, told KWTX.
The new Texas property will house Merrick’s 150 current Waco employees plus 10 new factory positions workers — paying at least $12 an hour — plus 10 headquarters positions at an average $57,500 a year, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported.
Merrick will get a $950,000 from the local government’s Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corp. to defray certain relocation expenses, the Tribune-Herald also noted.
“Merrick Engineering is a long tenured corporate citizen of Waco, and we are proud they have chosen our community as the location for their future growth. That they will also move their corporate headquarters to Waco from California, further affirms this city as an emerging destination for professional talent and business growth,” Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver told KWTX.
Texas seems to be a popular relocation site for Californians.
Merrick’s move follows the announcement that fast-food supplier Quality Custom is moving corporate functions from Irvine to the Dallas suburb of Frisco. The new office, expected to be running by early 2020, will employ up to 45 people.
Plus, 48,354 more Californians moved to Texas in 2018 vs. those who came from the Lone Star State — a gap more than double 2017’s net outflow.Related Articles Business | Which president did the best job with inflation? Business | Is the economy heading for a double-dip recession? Business | Sprouts hiring 100 workers for new Moreno Valley market Business | Is Southern California’s job rebound ‘too much good stuff’? Business | Population growth fuels retail expansion in San Bernardino County
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