MEC Aerial Work Platforms has opened a new Engineering Center of Excellence at its Kerman headquarters in Fresno County. The facility, which began operations in July, covers 8,000 square feet and is equipped with advanced design technology, meeting spaces, specialized testing equipment, and a clean-room R&D lab.
The center was established to encourage collaboration among engineers, technical support teams, product developers, manufacturing staff, and industry experts. It will also serve as a training hub for both MEC employees and customers. According to the company, the center will host joint projects with industry partners aimed at advancing safety and technology within the sector.
Nearly 200 people are employed at MEC’s Kerman factory. The company was originally founded in Wisconsin but was acquired by Dingli Machinery of China in 2024. Construction of the new facility took about one year.
“This facility is state-of-the-art,” said Gary Crook, MEC vice president of engineering. “We are really fortunate to have that facility to grow into.” Crook added that the new space would help MEC advance its engineering capabilities and attract new talent.
MEC President Brian McFarland noted that the expansion allows their engineering team more room to develop products supporting market growth strategies. “By having a facility and being able to work within the factory gives us the ability and space to work hand-in-hand with Fresno State and other universities to recruit new talent and develop them within the industry.”
McFarland also stated that the center enables customer training on product use, which aims to improve safety standards and service quality. He mentioned ongoing challenges related to tariffs imposed during the Trump Administration: “the Trump Administration’s recent tariffs are something they focus on each day, trying to balance administrative changes while their growth plans have fluctuated with the cost changes.”
Paul Waller, vice president of sales at MEC, emphasized innovation as an ongoing process shaped by customer feedback and employee safety considerations: driving innovation in the industry is a multifaceted process that involves listening to customers who use their products and making sure their team members go home safe.
