You may already be familiar with why major life sciences companies are putting down roots in Pearland's Lower Kirby, but did you know that manufacturing companies are also following suit?

Current manufacturing companies in Lower Kirby include Tool-Flo Manufacturing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor International Corporation, and Dover Energy, along with life science manufacturers Lonza, Merit Medical, and Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Tool-Flo Manufacturing produces tools and products for the oil and gas, automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. When the team at Tool-Flo was searching for a location, the approachability of Pearland’s Lower Kirby stood out.

“We spent a lot of time searching for property and when we drove into Pearland on Kirby Drive, it immediately felt like we were at home,” says former Tool-Flo president Dennis Flolo.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor International Corporation (MHI) also selected Lower Kirby for its office, manufacturing, and service facility, and the first U.S.-based manufacturing and service location for the Japanese-owned company.

The 180,000-square-foot facility located on Kirby Drive houses packaging and assembly, vertical and horizontal rotor storage, repair and maintenance services, administrative offices, and a training center. MHI also constructed a 49,500-square-foot warehouse facility.

Dover Energy is the energy division of diversified global manufacturer Dover Corporation, and a manufacturer of specialized products and valves. Dover Energy opened a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing and operations facility in Pearland’s Lower Kirby with a facility that consolidated multiple Texas locations into one regional location that's home to over 200 employees.

“Dover was looking to consolidate the manufacturing and operations of several stand-alone businesses into one site that was convenient and would best position it for future growth, and we found a great location for them that will suit all of their needs in a modern business park environment,” says executive vice president Jarrett Venghaus, regional director at Jones Lang LaSalle (which represented Dover in its purchase of the land).

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. serves hospitals worldwide by manufacturing more than 2,000 proprietary, disposable medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional cardiology and radiology procedures.

Merit Medical chose Lower Kirby as the site for its new research and development and manufacturing facility due to an educated workforce and proximity to Houston. Approximately 400 of Merit’s 6,000 employees work out of the company’s 120,000-square-foot facility.

“Merit was looking for a large growing workforce, an educated community, an array of services immediately around the facility for the employees, and the proximity to the Greater Houston area,” says Merit Medical Systems managing director Richard Jepson.

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (CSI), a leading medical device manufacturer of innovative interventional treatment systems for vascular disease, selected Lower Kirby as the home of its second manufacturing facility in the U.S. CSI manufactures a minimally invasive medical device.

Lower Kirby is a 1,200-acre mixed-use development in northwest Pearland, at the intersection of South Beltway 8 and State Highway 288, that is home to office, retail, commercial, and industrial projects and is continuing to expand. In addition to manufacturing, Lower Kirby is also the location for several biotech and energy companies.