The Early Days
Meridian Products was started in the early 1970s as a division of Sunline Coach Company. This division constructed cabinet doors for Sunline’s modular homes and was split off in 1975 and incorporated as International Traveler Trailer Corporation. Cabinet door manufacturing continued as the primary component of sales, with the target market the modular home and motor home industry. In the mid to late 1980’s, the company shifted to selling doors to cabinet shops servicing the lower-end spectrum of the housing market. By the early 1990’s, the company began manufacturing and selling a higher quality cabinet door for cabinet shops.
In 1993, sales approximated 4.5 million dollars and the employee base consisted of approximately 90 employees.
In 1995, the company changed its name to Meridian Products, Inc. and began a concentrated effort to manufacture and market a very high-quality door for the high-end custom cabinet industry.
During the mid to late 1990’s, the company worked to diversify its product mix to include additional high quality, high value cabinet components. Sales increased annually an average of 27.80% per year with very little additional marketing and expansion of sales territory, and no loss of profitability.
A Few Big Setbacks
Then in 1999, things changed. The company suffered a fire in its door plant, destroying the finishing, inspection and shipping departments, and severely damaging the sales and customer service offices. Limited production was resumed within two weeks of the fire, and the opportunity was taken to improve all facilities effected by the fire. The company’s product finishing capabilities were fully restored 4.5 months after the fire. During the rebuild, production was squeezed into the remaining manufacturing facilities and most finishing work was completed off-site.
By December 2005, sales approximated 20 million dollars and the employee base consisted of approximately 185 employees. The weekly door production averaged 5,500 doors produced per week in addition to increased production of drawer boxes, face frames, and other cabinet components.
On October 31, 2006, the company suffered a second major fire in its door plant, destroying the finish department and severely damaging the shipping department. Smoke and water damage destroyed all inventory in the building. Limited production was resumed 2 days after the fire and off-sight finishing facilities were retained until the finishing department was rebuilt. The finish department was rebuilt and in full production approximately 6 weeks after the fire.
During the housing downturn between 2007 and 2010, the company’s sales declined approximately 40%. During this time the company remained customer focused, providing consistently high-quality products, timely deliveries, and exceptional customer service. This focus preserved our customer relationships and our business for future growth.
Always Looking Toward the Future
The heart of Meridian Products has remained steadfast over the years: providing excellent products and services to our customers and creating an inspiring culture for our employees. We are constantly looking to the future to anticipate needs and trends, initiate innovation, and continuing to build upon our strong foundation. We are proud of how far we have come and can’t wait to see what the future brings for us!
If you like to learn more about what makes Meridian Products unique, feel free to contact us!