Mount Pleasant, Texas – May 4, 2023
Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce that RoadClipper Enterprises, Inc has purchased a historic and landmark downtown property to establish its headquarters.
The property, located at 301 N. Madison Avenue, includes an entire city block and some of the tallest and most spacious buildings in the community. The facility’s trademark front-facing white paint and stately columns have become a favorite backdrop for local photographers. The property originally belonged to First Baptist Church.
“I used to go to Sunday School class somewhere in one of these buildings and I was married here,” said CEO Jeffery Crabb during a recent tour of the property, which comprises four separate buildings.
“We will revitalize this iconic and historic building to serve as our corporate headquarters,” said Crabb. “But beyond that, the property will also be a hub for local business and leadership development far beyond RoadClipper and Diamond C. It will be a catalyst for the advancement of our community, which is a win-win for all.”
RoadClipper Enterprises is the parent company of Diamond C Trailers and other subsidiaries. The firm has rapidly expanded into multiple campuses throughout the community during the past four years.
In 2018, the company employed approximately 225 employees. Today, that number has swelled to more than 850 and there are no signs of stopping. RoadClipper projects to hire close to 80 new jobs at its headquarters location.
RoadClipper was founded in Mount Pleasant, TX in 1985, doing business as Diamond C Trailers. Since 1992, Diamond C’s campus has been located in Cypress Industrial Park with other major employers like international food manufacturer Newly Weds Foods, and most recently, Local Bounti, which is a publicly traded firm that broke ground on 451,000 SF of greenhouse space on January 4, 2023.
Crabb said his company made the decision to purchase the downtown facility to fuel the growth and success of its team-members, its customers, and the community.
“This facility will be a key part of our ability to continue attracting high quality people and talent to come and grow with us in Mount Pleasant,” said Crabb.
“It will be buzzing with many types of business professionals including marketing, branding, IT, HR, R&D, supply chain, finance, and more,” Crabb added. “Plus, we want it to be the nexus for other businesses and entrepreneurs, economic development services and resources, aspiring leaders, and hopefully students and interns too!”
Crabb stated the company is growing at 30% per year. RoadClipper, Crabb said, could see another 400 jobs being added in Mount Pleasant within the next five years.
Nathan Tafoya, Executive Director for Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation, said the headquarters project hits a rare trifecta of community benefits.
“While this project surpasses customary economic development thresholds of primary job creation and tax base expansion with its high-paying back-office jobs, it also touches on secondary investment goals in the form of redevelopment & beautification of a languishing, vacant facility,” said Tafoya. “It just so happens that downtown investment and placemaking happen to be strategically aligned to the City’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan adopted in June 2022.”
“Lastly, this project represents the retention and expansion of a major manufacturer,” said Tafoya. “MPEDC had been aware for several months that RoadClipper was vertically integrating and scaling but had begun running out of space and had begun broad property searches.”
Tafoya said there is tangible excitement about the economic impact of RoadClipper’s purchase from those who know about the HQ project.
The economic development project received support from multiple community groups, including written support from Laura’s Cheesecake, Nardello’s, and Jos (Coffee) Downtown restaurants.
City officials believe the company’s growth trajectory and HQ presence will further diversify the City’s economy and workforce offerings.
“We are pleased that RoadClipper Enterprises has chosen Downtown Mount Pleasant and the former First Baptist Church for its new headquarters,” said Ed Thatcher, City Manager of Mount Pleasant.
“Welcoming a major employer to the heart of our community is an important achievement for the MPEDC, the City, and other stakeholders including the downtown merchants. We look forward to the positive economic impact RoadClipper’s presence will bring.”
Through a 10-year performance agreement, MPEDC is assisting the HQ project with an assistance package valued at $2.22 million.
RoadClipper has committed to hire at least 75 net new jobs with an average wage of $60,000 per year and spend a minimum $5 million in qualified expenditures.
“Economic impact for this HQ project in wages alone are at least $4.5 million per year, excluding benefits,” said Tafoya. “Future economic impacts as renovations complete will bring additional community benefit in the form of property taxes.”
RoadClipper has not requested any property tax abatements for its headquarters. City Council unanimously approved MPEDC’s assistance package on April 4, 2023.
Crabb said the community might need to be patient throughout the summer before it sees noticeable changes along Madison Ave.
“The community should not expect to see much change over the next several months as the design and architecture phases of the project are underway,” said Crabb. “Then renovation construction should ramp up around the end of the year with a grand opening sometime in late 2024.”
According to Tafoya, Mount Pleasant is benefiting from massive manufacturing investments, which is signaling subsequent industrial, commercial, and residential growth throughout the community.
“We are in the middle of a three-year stretch wherein local industries are investing more than $120+ million to construct more than a half million total square feet of manufacturing space,” he said. “I think we’ve had a crane in the air, somewhere in our micropolitan community, every day for a full year now.”
Tafoya stated that with other amenities coming online, like a new steakhouse and Chick-fil-A, a new mixed-use development on Interstate 30 and Tankersley Lake, and large infrastructure investments by the City of Mount Pleasant, the community continues to position itself for future success and opportunities.
“From a development perspective, the next five years are going to be a lot of fun around here,” said Tafoya. //
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