From Michigan Farm Girl to CEO

When Cheryl Merchant talks about her path from rural Michigan to the corner office at the Taco Family of Companies, she does so with the steady confidence of someone who’s spent four decades proving that perseverance and people-first leadership can build anything — from global factories to family-style company cultures.

“I’m a Michigan farm girl,” she begins with a smile. “Still have that farm up in Michigan.” That upbringing, she says, gave her two gifts that have defined her life: a refusal to be afraid of work and an unshakeable sense of responsibility.

“My dad told me, you’ll never go hungry and you’ll never be scared of work,” she recalls. “That’s what I try to pass on to my children — and my teams.”

From the shop floor to global leadership

Merchant’s manufacturing career began in the automotive industry at General Motors’ Cadillac plant in downtown Detroit — a daunting place for a young woman in the early 1980s. From GM she moved to Mazda’s Flat Rock plant, then to Ford Motor Company, where she launched ERP systems and later transferred to Mexico to oversee six seating plants serving 54 assembly operations.

Her career became a master class in taking risks. “At one point, I was running an operation with 3,500 people,” she says. “Then I went to Canada, then Europe — consolidating plants, shutting one down in England, starting one up in Portugal. Every move scared me, but each one taught me I could do anything.”

After two decades in automotive, Merchant took over as CEO of Hope Webbing, a tier-two supplier with plants across multiple continents. Over 20 years, she quintupled its size — and, along the way, became close friends with John Hazen White Jr., then CEO of Taco Family of Companies.

“We’d meet on weekends at the Marriott restaurant across from the Capitol, drink coffee, and talk about our worst nightmares and biggest challenges,” she laughs. “We always said we’d make a dream team someday.”

In 2018, that day came. White called Merchant with an offer — and a bit of whiskey persuasion — to join Taco as president and CEO. “It was a dream come true,” she says. “I was tired of the carnivorous world of automotive. Three weeks after joining, I went to the AHR Expo in Atlanta and fell in love with the HVAC industry.”

Leading with love and accountability

Merchant’s leadership style is rooted in empathy, discipline, and recognition. She credits her mother for instilling the belief that “you can do anything you want to do” and her longtime Ford mentor, Fran Labadee, for teaching her how to lead people, not just processes.

“He’d tell me, ‘One rose won’t last all summer; you’ve got to keep working.’ He showed me what it means to respect people, to go above and beyond to make someone successful,” she says.

At Taco, Merchant models that same philosophy. She believes a true leader’s job is to make their team succeed — to coach, develop, and celebrate others. “If a leader is worried about themselves, they’re not leading,” she says plainly.

That people-first culture extends throughout Taco. Merchant tells stories of employees rallying to build pumps overnight for a hospital during Hurricane Ida, of family days at each facility, and of an unspoken rule: what you do for one, you do for all.

“At Taco, it’s just part of our DNA,” she explains. “There’s no judgment. Everyone, from the janitor to the CEO, deserves respect.”

Championing women in manufacturing

In 2025, Cheryl Merchant was inducted into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame, joining leaders from companies like BMW and Pfizer. For someone who once stood as the only female supervisor on a Detroit shop floor, the honor is deeply personal.

“Manufacturing is about making stuff — about pride in product and people,” she says. “Women are good at that. We’ve done it all our lives.”

While progress has been made, Merchant believes the industry still has a long way to go. “To get women at the top, you have to start from the ground up,” she notes. “Women have different kinds of lives — we need to support them through every stage, so they don’t drop out.”

She’s also adamant that inclusion means opportunity for everyone. “A women’s group once asked if I’d hire exclusively women,” she says. “I told them no, that’s reverse discrimination. Inclusion means no favoritism. Everyone has a purpose and a why.”

A passion for people and for the product

Merchant’s passion for Taco’s mission radiates when she talks about the company’s role in keeping water and heat flowing in homes, hospitals, and universities. “Every employee at Taco believes they are essential,” she says. “That’s where the passion comes from. Love and the willingness to care for others.”

That love is evident in the company’s approach to growth. Under her leadership, Taco has expanded its global footprint with facilities in Europe, Canada, Texas, and Vietnam. The company has invested millions in automation, embraced artificial intelligence to optimize supply chains, and maintained deep relationships with reps and wholesalers — some spanning generations.

“Our mantra is stronger together,” Merchant says. “When we share and hold hands about where we’re going, we can get through anything — tariffs, supply chain, whatever comes next.”

Advice for the next generation

Asked what she looks for in talent, Merchant doesn’t hesitate: “Ambition and the ability to learn. That’s it.” She believes those two traits matter more than any résumé line. “You can’t have one without the other and grow.”

To attract the next generation, she says, the industry must reclaim its pride. “Manufacturing used to be a dirty word. People worked in factories so their kids wouldn’t have to. Now those are the jobs everyone wants — they’re valuable, creative, and life-changing.”

She lights up, recalling the company’s new Fall River facility, built with large women’s locker rooms to accommodate a growing number of female welders. “It’s an art,” she says. “Seeing women excel in these roles — that’s rewarding.”

Finding balance through integration

Merchant is candid about the personal challenges of a career spent on the move. “I’ve been married and divorced three times,” she shares. “It’s tough for women in leadership. But we shouldn’t lose ourselves.”

Her advice for others: stop chasing “work-life balance.”

“Balance means one side always goes up while the other goes down,” she says. “It has to be integration — deciding what matters most for your life, your family, and your mental health.”

At home, Merchant stays grounded through nightly “rose, thorn, and bud” conversations with her teenage kids. She swears by meticulous organization, scheduled “thinking time,” and a black notebook that has followed her through decades of leadership decisions.

Looking forward, Merchant is energized by the challenges reshaping HVAC and hydronics — from electrification and decarbonization to AI and efficiency. “The industry is heading in the right direction,” she says. “We’re doing what’s right for the world — conserving water, improving energy use, and building smarter systems.”

For the girl who once left a Michigan farm to chase opportunity in Detroit, that mission — building things that matter while building people who care — is the truest measure of success.

“I know my mom’s looking down, saying, ‘See? I told you.’”

From Farm Girl to CEO - Meet Taco's Cheryl Merchant

Newly inducted into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame, Taco's CEO, Cheryl Merchant, tells all in this podcast conversation. From her humble beginnings to working her way up the manufacturing ladder in various industries, her thankful nature and risk-taking business mindset has led the Taco Family of Companies to continued success.