Meritex :: Our Stories

Our philosophy: Our most valuable assets are the businesses growing under our roofs.

"They follow through, they call, they ask questions, they take care of the problems and solve the issues."

Relationships matter. That’s a core philosophy shared by Meritex and one of its tenants, MVP Logistics. By creating partnerships and putting people first, both companies have been able to grow, thrive, and find a like-minded partnership.

MVP Logistics started in August 2007 as an idea on a restaurant napkin. From humble beginnings, they have grown into a large company with a robust fleet and a headquarters in Plymouth. This allows them to make the complex world of supply chain manageable for companies by providing international freight and warehousing services. When it comes to logistics, they can do anything from sushi to hazardous waste. You name it, they’ve moved it.

While they have a national reach, everything starts at home in their Plymouth-based headquarters, which is where Meritex comes in. MVP Logistics currently occupies 200,000 square feet within Parkers Lake Commerce Center. MVP has been located there for several years and uses the space for distribution and fulfillment. Every day, MVP picks and packs orders for clothing, fishing rods, lawn mowers, appliances, and more, loads them on trucks, and sends them out.

Meritex acquired the Parkers Lake Commerce Center in 2021, and quickly worked to build a relationship with tenants to find the best ways to support them.

“Meritex acquired the building we were in. We signed a new lease right before Meritex acquired us, so we stayed,” said Dirk Updike, VP of Operations MVP Logistics. “But, we’re happy with the building and situation we’re currently in. They’re the best property management firm I’ve ever worked with.”

Ultimately, Meritex aims to support tenants and ensure they can do their important work without having to worry about their space. The Parkers Lake facility is no different. Dirk added that Dan Mattice, the Meritex maintenance engineer who handles maintenance at the property, takes great care of them. He’s always there within thirty minutes if there’s any issue, he’s solution-oriented, he never complains, and he is on the look-out for ways to support the team whenever possible.

Dirk adds, “I appreciate the responsiveness of the entire team. Anyone you need to talk to is willing to talk to you. The management team calls to check-in. They follow through, they call, they ask questions, they take care of the problems and solve the issues. In the grand scheme of things, they really do care about us as a partner. Dan especially cares that we’re his tenant, and he likes to make sure we’re taken care of.”

The team at Meritex is dedicated to partnering with MVP Logistics to ensure their continued success at Parkers Lake Commerce Center.

"They’ve been very flexible and let us grow and configure our space in a way that best suits our needs."

Surly has made a big impression in Minnesota since it was founded by Omar Ansari. From humble beginnings, the company has changed spaces several times, grown into a 400+ employee company, began selling beer all over the country, created a destination brewery, and literally changed the law in Minnesota. We’re proud to count them among our tenants.

Surly’s story started with founder Omar Ansari witnessing the American dream. His parents immigrated to the United States and used their first car as collateral to launch a successful manufacturing company. As Omar got older, he went to work in the family business, but was itching to do something else. An avid homebrewer, he knew he could make something special and went to his parents with an idea to start a brewing company even though the craft brewing movement was in its infancy. Omar’s dad offered him half of the space at the family’s Brooklyn Park facility to brew beer and Surly was born.

The first beer brewed by the newly-founded Surly was Furious, the company’s first and still most popular beer, and demand quickly skyrocketed. At one point there was a waiting list years long for people to get the beer. With that kind of demand, there was the clear opportunity to do more, and Omar envisioned turning Surly into a destination brewery. There was just one problem - the law for production breweries at the time didn’t allow breweries to sell beer to customers on site. Surly lobbied hard and got the law changed in Minnesota, allowing them to build a brewery and serve beer out of the same location.

“Omar looked for an opportunity, saw the law wouldn’t work with his vision, and instead of backing down, he charged forward and changed the law,” says Liz Hish, chief hospitality and operations officer at Surly. “It defines the vision of Surly and our creativity and uniqueness.”

With the law changed, Surly started looking for locations to build its destination brewery and ended up at Prospect Park. Within a year, the company went from 20 employees to more than 400 and outgrew the smaller office spaces they had been using. While looking for larger spaces that suited their needs, Surly found Meritex and a conveniently-located space just across the street from the brewery.

“Our experience with Meritex has been great. They’ve been very flexible and let us grow and configure our space in a way that best suits our needs,” explains Hish. “We’ve had to add additional office space and move walls around as we grow, and Meritex has worked with us every step of the way. They’ve even helped find creative solutions to maximize our space and worked with us on any issues we found.”

One particular challenge Surly encountered was parking. The company needed to have designated parking spots close to the door to allow its employees to carry boxes full of beer safely into the building, something that can be challenging in Minnesota’s icy winters. Meritex worked with all of the tenants in the building to figure out a parking solution that would work for everyone and ensure the beer was kept safe.

“Meritex has impressed us with their willingness and adaptability,” says Hish. “They come up with solutions to every challenge.”

"...when it comes time to look for an even bigger space, we’ll turn to Meritex first.”

As the weather gets steadily colder, we’re preparing to hibernate under a pile of blankets with a good cup of coffee, or at least swing by our favorite coffee shop for a quick pick me up. Thankfully, Minneapolis-based Café Imports has us covered. The company has sought out, tasted, studied, experimented with, developed, supported, and showcased the finest ‘green coffees’ and the best producers. And of course, it sells and ships the coffee all over the world, straight to the shops who roast it and brew it for you. Even better, you never have to feel guilty about drinking coffee from Café Imports. The company focuses on green-initiatives including working to neutralize their carbon footprint and using solar panels.

Like most businesses, Café Imports started small. In 1993, the founders brought home a container of coffee from Brazil, then went door to door selling it in the Minneapolis area. Now, the company has more than 40 employees across four continents, including a sizable warehouse staff in Minneapolis just around the corner from the company’s headquarters.

That warehouse staff has called one of our Meritex buildings home for several years, and in fact, was one of the first tenants in their current building. The facility was ideal for them because it provided a space that was stable in terms of temperature and humidity levels, included fourteen docks to help streamline operations, and of course, was located just minutes from the company’s headquarters. They haven’t regretted that decision for a moment.

“Everyone at Meritex is incredibly responsive and friendly,” says Chad Barasch, operations manager for Café Imports. “Whenever I need anything, I can get them on the phone almost immediately and get our needs met.”

The staff at Meritex also make sure that the ‘frightful’ Minnesota winters don’t put a damper on business.

“We have to deal with snow in Minnesota a lot,” adds Barasch. “They know that our parking lot being covered in snow will completely log jam us. If the plowers don’t come, Meritex immediately gets on the phone, gets the plows out, and makes sure we don’t miss a beat.”

What’s next for Café Imports? The company expects to continuing growing, though they may have a bit of competition in that area.

“We probably can’t kick out the people next door and take over their space since they’ve already asked if they can take over ours,” jokes Barasch. “But, when it comes time to look for an even bigger space, we’ll turn to Meritex first.”