Elements International is a relatively new kid on the block when it comes to putting down business roots in Mesquite – having announced the move of its domestic warehouse and office headquarters here in the summer of 2018 and making the relocation official roughly six months later in February of 2019.
But being new to the neighborhood hasn’t stopped Elements from building on the early success they’ve had since the move with the company announcing exciting new expansion plans. The Mesquite City Council on Feb. 1 unanimously approved a resolution that will enable the company to add a 175,000-square-foot facility near its current office and warehouse.
The added space will allow Elements to add two new components – Elements Sleep and Style-Line Furniture. Elements Sleep will bring a new boxed mattress manufacturing facility to Mesquite with the company planning to invest more than $2.2 million in equipment to produce mattresses domestically. The company had purchased Style-Line – a Mississippi upholstery manufacturing company – in 2019 and plans to expand the Style-Line Operations in Mesquite.
Both concepts will greatly improve Elements’ ability to fulfill orders in the region and throughout the U.S. and, according to Mesquite City Manager Cliff Keheley, both are expected to add more than 40 additional jobs. Once the facility is fully operational, company officials anticipate 100-120 total additional jobs and they hope to have it up and running in the second quarter of 2021. The expanded facility will also feature 6,000 square feet of office space that will house a private showroom for customers, as well as a research and development space.
Keheley said Elements has had a big influence on Mesquite in just a short time.
“From jobs at varying pay levels to an increased tax base, the company is definitely impacting the community,” Keheley said. “We are very excited that they chose Mesquite as their headquarters and even more excited that they are already expanding. The addition of their new business concepts will add more jobs and value to the local economy.”
Keheley said the economic impact from a company such as Elements goes beyond the impact on the tax base.
“Creating jobs in the community brings people who will spend their money in Mesquite,” he said. “They will shop, eat and live here. This is difficult to measure but we do know that one job created for a business will create additional jobs throughout the city in order to support that person.”
Susie Wurster, Elements International’s vice president of marketing, said putting down stakes in Mesquite was a relatively easy decision from a number of angles.
“Mesquite being on multiple main transportation corridors in Dallas-Fort Worth made it very appealing from a logistics standpoint,” Wurster said. “Also, being closer to the Metroplex opened Elements to a larger labor pool and has proved beneficial as we continue to grow and hire.”
Wurster also credited city officials for the role they played in Elements’ decision.
“The City of Mesquite played a big part in why we came here,” she said. “Mesquite is a city that supports business growth and Elements has felt supported from the beginning.”
With the initial move, Elements brought about 125 jobs to its original 480,000-square-foot facility at the IDI Logistics Skyline Trade Center in Mesquite and Wurster said the company “is always looking for great people to add to the team.”
Elements International describes itself as a “dynamic furniture wholesaler that offers an extraordinary product lineup – including fashionable styles in upholstery, bedroom, dining, accents and occasional furniture.” One of the fastest-growing furniture companies in the country, company officials say they take great pride in providing customers with competitive prices and quality products while offering excellent customer service.
Officials called the expansion announced on Feb. 1 a huge opportunity for the company to continue to grow its sourcing capabilities and product assortment. The imports supply chain was significantly impacted in 2020 and having a domestic manufacturing facility will allow Elements to supply its retail partners with the products they need to keep their businesses successful. The launching of Elements Sleep, those officials say, “felt like the next natural category [for the company] to enter and will allow us to be a one-stop shop for furniture and bedding retailers.”
Elements International products can be found at traditional retailers such as Home Zone, At Home, Walmart, Target, Canales, Rooms To Go, Aaron’s, Conn’s and Wayfair. Products from the company’s Mesquite location are distributed to retailers nationwide.
Now two-plus years after the move, Wurster said the company couldn’t me more pleased with the decision to make its new home Mesquite.
“It’s been great,” she said. “The Mesquite community and the City of Mesquite have been beyond welcoming and Elements has been extremely happy with the choice.”
Wurster said relocating allowed the company to consolidate three warehouses (two – Garland and Rockwall – in DFW and one in Houston), which has increased shipping speed and enhanced its ability to offer a larger assortment of products.
In addition to finding a welcoming city and a new pool of potential employees, Elements has taken things a step further in being part of the Mesquite community. The company made a large donation to the new Mesquite Veterans Memorial, has hosted a networking event and was named Employer of the Year by the City’s Business Retention and Expansion Taskforce.
The facility – complete with 114 dock doors – allows Elements the ability to house all of its domestic goods in one central location and Andrea Solis, the company’s director of operations, said its new home enables Elements to keep product moving – resulting in healthy stock levels and happy customers.
“We are thrilled about this move,” Solis said. “It has provided a really great work environment for our employees and improved operational efficiencies – resulting in a better customer experience.”