Merillat History

History of Merillat

Orville Merillat started his business in a tiny 2,400 square foot workshop located in Adrian, Mich., on Sept. 2, 1946. Originally the business was called Merillat Woodworking Company. During WWII Orville enlisted in the Coast Guard and worked as the ship's carpenter. For every paycheck, he would send $150 to his wife Ruth back home and keep $1 for himself.

When he returned home from the military, the couple had saved enough money to purchase machinery and the company’s first truck. In the beginning, they built everything from church pews, door and window trim as well as kitchen cabinets. Little by little, as the post-war housing industry boomed, cabinets became the primary focus for the company.

In 1954 the company moved into a new plant they had built in Adrian. When it first opened, the facility was 15,000 square feet, today the same manufacturing plant is now 285,000 square feet.

To Present Day

In 2004 the unique strengths and competencies of Merillat Industries and Quality Cabinets (Texwood Industries) were integrated to form the Masco Builder Cabinet Group. On January 1, 2008 the legal entities of Merillat Industries, LLC, Merillat L.P. and Texwood Industries, L.P. became a single legal entity as the Masco Builder Cabinet Group. Under this legal entity, there are two great cabinetry brands; Merillat and its sister brand Quality Cabinets.

Leading the Industry in American Loyalty

Merillat has eight manufacturing plants located throughout the United States with 5,111 employees. Its network of facilities include Rapid City, S.D., Adrian, Mich., Jackson, Ohio, Mt. Jackson, Vir., Atkins, Vir., Culpeper, Vir., Ocala, Fla. and its newest plant in Los Lunas, N. M. With such strong roots, Merillat has grown to become one of the nation’s largest cabinet manufacturers and the number one builder-preferred cabinet.

Merillat is so entwined in the American landscape, the company was featured on the TV show John Ratzenberger’s Made in America. The show’s host, John Ratzenberger, brings viewers the stories of the best people, places and products in the United States. The show honors the men and women in the United States who work with their hands and skillfully make products that are the backbone of the American economy.

On July 31, 2006 Ratzenberger visited Merillat’s plant in Culpeper, Va. As part of his tour, Ratzenberger learned about the inner workings of a cabinetry assembly plant; he even took a turn at a few tasks himself. He was immersed in the Merillat culture and felt the sense of pride Merillat employees have for their jobs. Ratzenberger also got a lesson on the history of Merillat, including the company’s humble beginnings with Orville Merillat. The premiere episode aired on January 16, 2007.

Leading the Industry in Looks and Function

The Merillat headquarters may be in Adrian, Mich., but the designers at Merillat travel the world in search of the latest trends and designer styles.

Merillat offers the best selection of cabinetry at a variety of price levels to provide consumers custom-quality looks and function without a custom-sized price.

Merillat offers three distinct lines of cabinetry, including the semi-custom Merillat Masterpiece line and two core standard lines under the banners of Merillat Classic and Merillat Essentials.

Leading the Industry in Research

In 2004 Merillat began an ongoing, groundbreaking research study aimed at understanding new homebuyers and homeowners. The first two phases, Model Behavior I and Model Behavior II, took an in-depth look at how people act, think and shop in a model home.

Merillat’s third phase of research, Kitchen 4mula, examined how people live in their kitchens, the role the kitchen plays in their lives and ultimately revealed the secrets of four segments of homeowners.

The valuable insights learned from this research are helping Merillat to better design kitchens that homebuyers truly desire.

Leading the Industry in Energy Efficiency

As energy efficiency increasingly grows in importance, Merillat is diligently searching for ways to reduce its carbon footprint, including implementing energy efficiency measures in its facilities, recycling materials, improving indoor air quality, taking waste reduction measures as well as earning the following environmental certifications:

KCMA ESP Certification

Merillat is a member of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA). The KCMA has, for more than 40 years, set the standards for how cabinets are made, industry performance and product durability. When it introduced its sustainability program, called the Environmental Stewardship Certification Program (ESP), Merillat was on board. The certification evaluates Merillat’s commitment to the environment regarding energy efficiency, recycling, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted and community sponsorships.

ISO 14001

Merillat’s goal of being an energy conscious organization led the company to strive for the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO certification. This third party organization sets world-class voluntary international standards for environmental management issues.

Merillat is proud to be the first company-wide organization in the cabinet industry to meet the certifications set under ISO14001. The certification requires Merillat to put in place and implement a series of practices and procedures that, when taken together, result in an environmental management system (EMS).

The Best Cabinets for your Home

Merillat is the number one builder-selected cabinet for a reason; our quality is second to none.

Make the choice that builders make, and choose Merillat for your home. Click here to get started.

Trade Professionals: Click here to visit our trade site where you can learn more about Merillat, and find out how we can help your business succeed.

Career Opportunities: Click here to visit the Merillat Career Opportunities listings.