Lixit’s Legacy and What Comes Next: Interview with CEO Linda Parks

Napa's Tannery Bend area was once a thriving hub of local manufacturing, home to dozens of businesses that formed the backbone of the city's industrial economy. Today, only echoes of that era remain, but one former manufacturer is charting a new course that honors the past while embracing the future. Linda Parks, former CEO of Lixit Corporation, is transforming her 50,000 square foot warehouse into the Southgate Flex Building, creating affordable space for the makers, artists and small businesses that represent Napa's evolving creative economy. Join us as we hear from Linda on this exciting new development.

Lixit was founded in 1968 in what used to be a hub of local manufacturing. When you took over the company, what was the City of Napa like for manufacturing businesses?

When I first started Lixit, Napa had a strong base of local manufacturing. Over time, Napa's economy shifted toward tourism and other industries, and Chinese manufacturing began replicating our designs at a lower cost. These factors changed the landscape for local manufacturers and made ongoing operations in Napa unsustainable. I was part of an informal group of nine manufacturers locally. Until we sold earlier this month, Lixit was the last of the nine. At the peak of Lixit, we had 130 employees.

When did you first start considering shrinking your business and using the warehouse for different things? Why was the idea to rededicate it to artist and maker spaces appealing?

Neal Harrison from the City of Napa's Economic Development team shared the need for artist, maker and small business spaces. As the city and global industry evolved, it seemed like a good fit to move in that direction, especially with our unique downtown location. With the changes, we've renamed the building to the Southgate Flex Building.

Can you tell the story of creating Equitex and how that business will live on in Napa?

We purchased Equitex from my sister, Cynthia Krantz, in 2010. Equitex designs custom products for the high-end equestrian industry, including awning-type structures for horse shows, and they recently began offering residential awning recovery for local homeowners.

As I prepare for retirement, Equitex is staying local under new ownership. We're selling Equitex to Ben Mendoza, our former Plant Manager, along with Laurie and Alonso Corona, longtime Napa business owners (they were the former owners of Greenes Cleaners). Fun fact: Laurie Corona is a former Lixit employee who started with us right out of college and stayed with the team for several years! Equitex will stay in the Southgate Flex Building, keeping its roots in Napa.

Who are some of your new tenants and why are you excited about having them?

I always felt Napa needed more activities for children, so when Tasha Reasor approached us with the idea for a sports court, I knew it would be a great addition to support local families in our community.

We are also welcoming several small local businesses that need warehouse space and have several new artists/makers setting up shop. This includes Chefs House Rentals, Melina Bartlett Home Staging and Styling, Don's Plumbing, Colores de Napa Valley Studio, Strong Heart Glass and Tom Scheibal, to name a few.

With Lixit sold and these new smaller businesses now in your space, how do you plan to stay active in the business community? Can you share more about the small business mentoring you're offering?

My goals will be to provide a place to grow and nurture small local businesses and local makers/artists for the benefit of local residents. After several decades working in Corporate America, I am ready to hone my skills on a local level. I look forward to assisting and mentoring all the makers, artists and small businesses residing in the newly branded Southgate Flex Building - formerly the Lixit Corporation Factory.