The personal care business has been good for Merit Manufacturing,
and success has led to expansion in Macomb County.
In October, the company was awarded an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption Certificate (IFEC) from the city of Warren. The IFEC allowed Merit to consolidate its four separate buildings in Sterling Heights into one building in Warren.
Since its founding in 2017, the company has been growing at a steady pace. Merit is a contract manufacturer that makes personal care products, cleaning products, and much more. It formulates, mixes, bottled and ships products for nationwide brands. Merit started with just one production line at a facility in Macomb Township, and in time expanded to add a fulfillment warehouse and an overflow storage warehouse to keep up with growth. In 2018, it moved into a new warehouse and manufacturing facility in Sterling Heights, and in summer 2020, it moved manufacturing into a second new warehouse around the corner. That allowed Merit to have more than four different production lines, plus several solid product lines.
The new 56,000-square-foot manufacturing space in Warren will be supplemented by a newly constructed 34,000-square-foot warehouse. The new site will include 14 filling lines and 12 mixing tanks.
The move means Merit will invest more than $9.1 million in its Warren location – $6 million in real property and $3.1 million in personal property. Merit expects to create approximately 90 new jobs at its new facility. Its projected sales are expected to nearly double in 2024, to $21.25 million.
The Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED) team was able to provide support and guidance throughout the process, including helping Merit with hiring and training needs by connecting them to Macomb/St. Clair MI Works! and Macomb Community College. MCPED also helped Merit receive a free tech assessment from the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC).
With MCPED’s help, Merit is also planning to apply for an Industry 4.0 grant to help offset the cost of acquiring automation equipment – up to $25,000 in matching funds.
Merit Manufacturing hopes to have its new Warren facility up and running by the end of 2024.
Is your company looking to expand? If so, contact our economic development team at MCPED at 586-469-5100 for free and confidential assistance.
