The 5 Most Successful Manufacturing Businesses in Texas

Looking for work or hoping to get started as a manufacturer yourself? Here are the 5 most successful manufacturers in Texas to inspire you, giving you a starting point for your own research into them and uncovering what type of manufacturing inventory management software they use to take their businesses to the next level, starting with:   

1. Hexcel – $3B annual revenue, 600+ employees

Hexcel is an advanced materials company based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Livermore, California. The Fortune 500 company specializes in manufacturing composite materials such as aerostructures for commercial and military aircraft & components. Hexcel has multiple locations around Texas that focus on various aspects of the business: 

– The Aerostructures plant in Arlington manufactures lightweight composite components for Boeing and Airbus, including:  

• Wings and fuselage panels, stringers, and skin panels for the 787 and A350 XWB;  
• Wing box structures for the 737NG;  

• Flaps, ailerons & rudders for regional aircraft types;  
• Nacelle panels & doors for jet engines; and  
• Tail cone & bulkheads for military helicopters.  

– The Engineered Materials plant in Duncanville manufactures honeycomb, corrugated core, and other advanced composite structures for aircraft engines. 

– The Composites Research Engineering Center in Grand Prairie works with the airline industry to develop improved ways of building stronger, more efficient airframes.  

2. Mattel – $4B annual revenue, 7,000+ employees

Mattel is one of the world’s largest toy manufacturers with over 80 brands generationally relevant to children everywhere, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price, among many others. Founded in 1945 by Mattel co-founder Elliot Handler, Mattel has grown into a global marketer that set up its headquarters in El Segundo (a suburb of Los Angeles, California) and operates out of more than 40 locations around Texas. 

• Mattel has manufacturing plants in Duncanville (toys), Pasadena (fashion dolls), Chihuahua (Fisher-Price toys), and Reynosa (Barbie dolls).  
• The company’s digital marketing agency is located in Waco.  

3. Universal Technical Institute – $60M+ annual revenue, 1,400+ employees

Universal Technical Institute trains students as automotive technicians, collision repair specialists, and diesel technicians. Started in 1973 by then Indy 500 champion Rick Mears and other racing enthusiasts, UTI has grown into a global franchise with over 130 campuses across the U.S., while simultaneously expanding its operations throughout Texas: 

• UTI’s main campus is located in Houston—home of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the second-largest engineering hub in the U.S. after Detroit and a leading center for space exploration research.  
• UTI’s diesel training facility is located in Arlington, while an additional campus was added to the city earlier this year, bringing jobs to more than 1,000 residents. 
• Another location opened up in Grand Prairie last year with plans for yet another new school scheduled to open in Frisco by 2022.  

4. Welder Up! Franchise – $50M+ annual revenue, 645 employees 

Welder Up! The franchise has become one of the world’s fastest-growing welding equipment retailers through its courseware content, ladder-like retail model, and advanced mobile app. Welder Up! The franchise is based in McKinney, the Dallas-Ft Worth International Airport, the second-largest hub for UPS Airlines after their world headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. 

• The company’s executive team hails from McKinney, with its manufacturing plant located on President George Bush Turnpike (Highway 190).  
• The McKinney plant sprawls 30,000 square feet over three acres.

5. Pelican Products – $1B+ annual revenue, 1,300 employees

Pelican Products manufactures premium protective cases that are used across extreme sports to military operations around the globe. The company has production facilities in Round Rock (headquarters), Mansfield (cases), and San Marcos (custom foam packaging). Pelican was founded in Torrance, California, in 1976 by Dave Parker, with the majority of its employees today located in Round Rock. 

• Pelican has shared their corporate values through impactful community outreach initiatives.
• The company also shares best practices for developing a compelling customer experience across its network of over 30 retail sites throughout Texas.
• Pelican has workforce development programs that help employees gain skills in engineering, software development, and other technical areas.