Industrial boom transforms City of Wilmer’s landscape
Fueled by industrial growth, the southern Dallas County city of Wilmer is experiencing a boom in new development and attracting major companies, with plans for new residential and commercial projects to accommodate its expanding population.
WILMER, Texas – A town in southern Dallas County is seeing a boom in new construction and companies are flocking to the area.
What we know:
Thanks to the Dallas County inland port, some 84 corporations call southeast Dallas, Lancaster, Hutchins and Wilmer home.
“The growth…it is out of this world, and we don’t have to go to companies. Companies are coming to our city,” said Mayor of Wilmer, Sheila Petta.
Southern Dallas developer Mike Rader was at a recent city council meeting being presented with a proclamation for his ongoing development and support of the city.
Rader is also the President of Prime Rail Interests, LLC and Prime 45 Development, LLC.
“That’s taken place in the last 20 years, the last three to four years, we’ve been the fastest growing industrial area in Texas and maybe the United States,” said Rader.
Dig deeper:
Growth was driven by Union Pacific’s global intermodal facility in Wilmer.
That’s attracted major companies building logistics and distribution hubs, such as John Paul Mitchell Systems, recently relocating its hair products manufacturing from the West Coast to Wilmer.
What they’re saying:
“The industrial had to take place to bring the jobs the billions of dollars of investment, and I knew eventually there was going to be potential for commercial and retail,” said Rader.
And it’s happening, including new home construction in Wilmer, with a growing population in the last three years, now more than 7,000.
This is the masterplan for a 30-acre development soon to begin.
“It’s called Sunridge Station,” said Rader.
“And we’re bringing in medical facilities, two Marriott hotels, restaurants and a potential grocery store.”
Local perspective:
Former state representative Carl Sherman grew up right here in Wilmer and where this Dollar General sits there was a grocery store called Max Sherman worked in that store, and now he’s part of the team working to bring a new grocery store decades later to Wilmer.
“Having an opportunity to be a stock boy here at a mad grocery store and now being called on by the city, as other cities have called on The Carl Sherman Group to help them get specific things, like this grocery store, getting a full-service grocery store feels incredibly fulfilling,” said Sherman.
“We’re not a small city any more, we are a growing city, and I am very proud of our citizens.”
Wilmer is a small town with big growth and even bigger plans.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4’s Shaun Rabb.