“Turning the Corner HR’s forward-thinking, innovative approach resonated with me because it’s exactly what we’re trying to do in our business.
Together, we asked: How do we become more innovative in what we do, and not just continue to do things because that’s the way they’ve always been done?”
— Taylor Merritt, 3rd generation family member
Chairman and CEO, Merritt Trailers
About Merritt Trailers
Merritt Trailers is best known for one thing: legendary toughness. It’s why the family-owned and operated business has been successfully meeting the needs of agricultural and transportation markets since 1951—and shows no signs of slowing down.
A cohort of managers from Merritt Trailers participated in TTC’s Fast Track Management Series in the summer of 2021.
Results at a Glance
Managers Trained: Six Merritt Trailers managers participated in Turning the Corner HR’s Fast Track Management Series.
Business Challenge: High employee turnover was affecting the manufacturing workforce and creating ongoing operational challenges.
Management Development: Managers received practical training designed to strengthen leadership skills and help them lead with greater confidence.
Employee Retention: Merritt Trailers reported a noticeable decrease in employee turnover after its managers completed the training.
Long Term Impact: The company developed a management strategy focused on investing in leaders and building stronger teams rather than accepting turnover as inevitable.
The Challenge
Before working with Turning the Corner HR, Merritt Trailers had come to view employee turnover as an unavoidable part of operating in the manufacturing industry. But Chairman and CEO Taylor Merritt recognized that persistent turnover carried significant costs, including the time and expense of training new employees, operational inefficiencies, and lost productivity.
Rather than continuing to accept turnover as inevitable, Merritt Trailers wanted to understand what it could do differently. The company turned to Turning the Corner HR to strengthen its managers and explore whether better management practices could improve employee retention.
How Turning the Corner HR Helped
Turning the Corner HR challenged Merritt Trailers to reconsider the assumption that high employee turnover was simply a normal part of manufacturing. Instead, the team explored how stronger management practices could improve the employee experience and help increase retention.
Merritt Trailers enrolled six managers in Turning the Corner HR’s Fast Track Management Series, a practical management training program designed to give managers the skills and tools they need to lead employees more effectively.
The training focused on helping managers strengthen their day to day leadership skills, communicate more effectively, navigate employee challenges, and become more confident in their roles. By investing in its managers, Merritt Trailers began building a stronger management foundation to support both its employees and the long term needs of the business.
The Results
After Merritt Trailers’ managers completed Turning the Corner HR’s Fast Track Management Series, the company reported a noticeable decrease in employee turnover.
More importantly, the experience changed how Merritt Trailers approached retention. Rather than treating turnover as an unavoidable cost of doing business in manufacturing, the company began viewing investment in its managers as part of its long term employee retention strategy.
Chairman and CEO Taylor Merritt described the training as an investment in both the company’s managers and its future, helping leaders better understand their role in creating an environment where employees want to stay.
“It’s an investment in our team and our managers,” Taylor Merritt said. “To help them walk down the path of not just being ‘managers,’ but a group of leaders within the organization who can execute and achieve what we’ve laid out for ourselves.”
Looking to Strengthen Your Managers and Improve Retention?
Strong managers can have a meaningful impact on employee engagement, retention, and team performance. Turning the Corner HR provides practical management training and leadership development programs that help managers build the skills and confidence they need to lead effectively.
Learn more about our Management Training Programs →