Ohio Street facility could be fully operational by March
Jeremy Ratliff
Editor
Sierra Pacific Windows plans to add up to 100 more jobs to the Merrill community in the coming months.
According to a press release issued Monday, Nov. 16 the planned job boom comes in the wake of continued growth for the company’s custom built, high-quality window and door products, currently manufactured at their Water Street facility. In addition, the company will be adding jobs at their newly opened facility also located in Merrill on Ohio Street.
“The attractiveness of Merrill as the right location for our company to expand is undeniable,” said President Tom Takach. “We already know some of the most highly skilled and hardest workers are right here in the Central Wisconsin area. Merrill is in close proximity to our Medford location and extends our access to this large community of skilled workers. We appreciate these communities for all they have to offer and intend to grow greatly in both.”
Despite US economic disruption from the current pandemic, record-low interest rates have homebuilding surging across the nation and creating a rise in demand for the company’s premium wood and vinyl window and door products. This alone is not the only reason behind the company’s expansion needs in Merrill though. Takach explains the company is on a trajectory for continued andsustainable growth within their industry. “We’re winning our share of the market because we are a different kind of window company. We believe in our roots as a family-owned business driven by a vertical integration approach and strongly valuing, empowering, and promoting our crewmembers. It all shows in the quality of the products we deliver.”
Ohio Street facility could be fully operational by March
Many of the added jobs will be located at Sierra Pacific’s 275,000 square foot facility on Ohio Street, which the company acquired in an asset purchase from Semco Windows earlier this year. Since acquiring the property in February, the company has had crews on-site continually working to upgrade the buildings and disburse its contents. Some operations have already begun including painting of components for customers that choose the company’s premium interior factory finish on their wood windows. Brand new state-of-the art equipment for wood window manufacturing is on the way also to add much needed production capacity and stay ahead of the growth of Sierra Pacific’s product lines. “I’m truly excited to watch this facility transform back into a thriving manufacturing operation again,” commented Plant Manager Jeff Schneider on the Ohio Street facility’s future.
“We’re bringing back top paying manufacturing jobs that ultimately contribute to the vibrancy of Merrill’s future. There is a ton of space here and I can’t wait to see it full and humming. What I would say to the community is that it is coming, get ready to watch us grow together. Window and door manufacturing has been an underpinning of the Merrill community with several nationally branded window companies getting their start here,” Schneider added. “Sierra Pacific is committed and we’re going to keep this rich heritage in the community going long into the future.”
As Schneider further explains, when the facility was first acquired, it contained thousands of pieces of equipment and machinery which had to be sorted. A majority of that equipment has since been repurposed or relocated to other facilities in Medford and California.
“There was a lot of work to do when we first acquired this facility, it has come a long way in a short time. And there is so much more to come,” he adds during a plant tour with the Merrill Foto News on Thursday, Nov. 19.
As Schneider alluded to, in addition to painting operations already in place on Ohio Street, the company is in the process of assembling a 40,000 square foot glass production unit to begin manufacturing windows. The company will also be expanding its wooden window production operations at the Ohio Street facility, to complement the vinyl window production at the Water Street plant. In total, Schneider projects up to 75 jobs to be added on Ohio Street and 25 on Water Street. Positions will include general labor, glass production, supervisory as well as skilled labor positions such as engineering and technical support. If all goes as planned, the Ohio Street plant could be fully operational as early as March of 2021; just over a year since acquisition.
Once the new jobs are in place and the Ohio Street facility is operating at full capacity, Schneider projects overall window production in Merrill to double; from approximately 10,000 units per month, to 20,000 per month between the two facilities.
“This is a huge investment for Sierra Pacific and a huge investment in Merrill. We saw room for expansion here and we’re taking full advantage of it. We have found there to be a driven, dedicated workforce in Merrill and we enjoy growing in our community as we continue with our expansion.”
Working at Sierra Pacific
Sierra Pacific provides an excellent benefit package including a full Health Benefits Plan with low cost premiums, a 401(k) with company match, additional retirement contributions, and company paid life insurance. In addition, for over 38 years, the Sierra Pacific Foundation has provided scholarships to help the children of crew members with education expenses. Each year, Sierra Pacific gives an average of $500,000 in scholarships. The company invites interested applicants to hear from our valued crewmembers in their own words and through their own stories what it’s like to build a career at Sierra Pacific by visiting www.sierrapacificwindows.com/OurStory/CareerOpportunities.
Applicants are encouraged to apply in-person Monday through Friday from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm at Sierra Pacific Windows, 1815 Water Street, Merrill, WI 54452.
About Sierra Pacific Windows
Sierra Pacific Windows is a division of Sierra Pacific Industries, a family-owned forest products company. Based in Red Bluff, California, Sierra Pacific Windows is one of the largest manufacturers of superior quality, custom wood and vinyl windows and doors in the world. It is the only fully verticallyintegrated window and door company, in which the company owns the forestland and manages the entire manufacturing and distribution process. Sierra Pacific Windows has a combined manufacturing production space of over 1.4 million square feet in California and Wisconsin. Its windows and doors are distributed via more than 600 nationwide dealers, distributors and company-owned locations.
About Sierra Pacific Industries
Sierra Pacific Industries is a third-generation, family-owned forest products company based in Anderson, California. The company owns and manages more than 2 million acres of timberland in California and Washington, and is one of the largest lumber companies and largest manufacturer of millwork in the United States. Sierra Pacific Industries is committed to managing its lands in a responsible and sustainable manner to protect the environment while providing quality wood products and renewable power for consumers. The company’s forests are certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®. Sierra Pacific Windows utilizes nearly 100 percent of every piece of wood brought to its 18 mills and seven biomass-fueled cogeneration power plants.