Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Layoffs Leading to Apparent Closing of Facility at Longleaf Business Park
After nearly a decade of operations in Lake Wales, the Merlin Magic Making facility at Longleaf Business Park is apparently closing its doors. A filing with the Florida Department of Commerce informed them of the layoffs of 31 workers at the facility beginning May 31. That number approaches the total number of employees at the site, leading to expectations that it will be closed completely, according to local sources.
Merlin Magic Making has been building models in their nearly 40,000 square foot facility for nearly a decade. The company has now announced the layoffs of more than 250 employees in Polk County this year.
Merlin is the parent company of Legoland, which recently announced the layoff of more than 200 employees from their park in Winter Haven. Merlin Entertainment operates at least 13 attractions around the globe.
The local facility was one of four that designed and constructed large and complex displays for those parks constructed entirely of Legos. In a statement offered to The Ledger, Merlin spokesperson Julie Estrada indicated that the company plans to combine their operations into a single facility.
Among those to be laid off locally are a manager, four designers, two supervisors, and four team leaders, as well as 16 model builders and other support staff.
The 38,000 square-foot facility at the north end of the business park was formerly a Harley-Davidson dealership. Merlin purchased the property in July 1016 for $1,415,000 and has operated the model center there since 2016.
The Longleaf Business Park was developed by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency to serve as an employment center for the city. Several lots within the largely-undeveloped park still belong to the CRA.
Merlin Magic Making produced Lego models for the company's entertainment parks around the world at the Lake Wales facility.
The primary employer at Longleaf Business Park is Kegel, a manufacturer of bowling lanes and equipment, which was among the first occupants of the park, having moved there after purchasing their first building for $3,770,600 in 2003. Kegel purchased a second building for $707,400 in December 2015.
Other properties within the park have recently been the subject of offers for purchase from the CRA. One is from a manufacturer of windows, while the second is from an operator of hotels.
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