Delco Trailers Opens 550,000 SF Manufacturing Facility in Lamar County

Delco Trailers, a manufacturer of custom and specialized trailers, has completed construction of a 550,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Lamar County, marking one of the largest industrial developments in the region's history. The facility is projected to bring 300 new jobs over five years and an estimated $140 million in direct payroll over the next decade, according to economic development reports.

The scale of the facility is striking in context. At 550,000 square feet, it is larger than the combined footprint of several other recent industrial projects in the county. To put it in perspective, the Huhtamaki expansion added 400,000 square feet. The TxDOT Paris District headquarters is 120,000 square feet. The LionsHead distribution center is 122,000 square feet. Delco Trailers alone represents a facility roughly equal to the sum of several major projects combined.

The trailer manufacturing cluster

The Delco Trailers facility strengthens what is becoming a specialized manufacturing cluster in Lamar County. LionsHead Specialty Tire & Wheel opened a 122,000 SF distribution center in 2025, supplying the trailer and RV supply chain. Happy Trailers built a new headquarters on Loop 286. The presence of multiple trailer-related businesses in a single county creates supplier networks, workforce specialization, and logistics efficiencies that make the region more attractive to additional industry entrants.

For Paris, the Delco project represents a direct bet on the region's industrial capacity. The facility requires a workforce of production welders, assembly technicians, logistics coordinators, and administrative staff. The projected payroll of $140 million over ten years translates to average annual wages that support middle-class households, retail spending, and housing demand in the surrounding community.

Workforce and community impact

Three hundred new manufacturing jobs in a labor force of 12,000 represents a 2.5 percent increase in total employment. When accounting for indirect job creation through local spending, the economic multiplier effect could push the total employment impact to 500 or more positions across the county. Workers at the facility will need housing, retail, food service, childcare, and healthcare, all of which generate additional commercial activity.

The Delco project also underscores the importance of the workforce development investments being made by the Paris Economic Development Corporation and Paris Junior College. The PEDC's Industry Roundtable and partnerships with East Texas A&M University, combined with the Texas Workforce Commission JET grants awarded to Paris ISD and PJC, are building the talent pipeline that manufacturers like Delco Trailers depend on to staff their facilities.

What it means for commercial property

Industrial facilities of this scale generate demand that extends far beyond the plant fence. Every new manufacturing job creates demand for nearby housing, which in turn drives demand for retail, food service, and professional services. For a property like 1905 E Price St, which sits in a Multi-Family Dwelling District with flexible zoning, the population and employment growth from projects like Delco Trailers expands the pool of potential tenants, customers, and end-users for commercial space.

The broader message is that Lamar County is no longer a market where industrial growth is measured in small expansions. The Delco facility, combined with the Huhtamaki expansion, the Zelestra solar portfolio, and the Amazon last-mile facility, represents a critical mass of industrial investment that changes the county's economic trajectory. For commercial property investors, the question is no longer whether Paris is growing, but how to position assets to capture the demand that growth is creating.