Merit Industries began in a garage.

But now, the Erie based business has as many as 250 projects going at the same time, shipping parts and tools all over the world.

Merit is really two companies under the same roof.

Workers making precision parts and tools used to make molds needed for a variety of products.

Merit's customers are primarily companies in aerospace, medical and transportation.

Rob Churchill has owned the business since 2013.

He said, "We are a global business. Our customers are throughout the world. Coast to coast in the U.S. different  countries around the world."

Those customers insist on top quality.

So the company spends a lot of time making sure its parts are top notch.

Churchill said, "Quality to me means there is really no grey areas, especially in aerospace. It is either a good part or it is not."

The company has invested in a lot of new technology for testing and producing parts and tools, helping Merit increase both production and efficiency.

Churchill said, "Where we may have been able to produce 10 parts a day, with our new technology, we are able to product 15 parts per day and at half the cost."

So the company has been growing steadily, but slowly.

Churchill said, "I welcome the slow growth, because you can plan for it, change your capacity and plan for it."