MET Recruitment signs Winster deal to support hose specialist’s future expansion

Winster, which serves hundreds of resellers across agriculture, automotive, construction, general engineering and marine, restructured its business to remain operational throughout the pandemic and is now putting in place the foundations for double-digit growth over the next 12 months.

To help it meet seasonal fluctuations in volumes from its nationwide client base, the Willenhall-based firm has turned to the expertise and talent pool of the Dudley recruitment agency to supply temporary staff every month.

All skilled and non-skilled workers are sourced, vetted and interviewed by MET Recruitment ahead of placing them, with full on-site introductions completed and a rapid turnaround agreement in place to find and supply candidates within a few hours of receiving a call.

“In the current uncertainty, we need flexibility in our staffing and this strategic relationship gives us exactly that,” explained Val Gardner, who became managing director in 2014.

“Our hoses and assemblies are playing a crucial role in helping construction and manufacturing companies remain operational throughout the pandemic and we had to make sure we were open despite volumes being extremely volatile. This meant looking at more temporary workers that we could bring in quickly when required and this is where the relationship with MET Recruitment has really started to pay off.”

She continued: “MET was recommended to us by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce as a fellow patron and we haven’t been disappointed. Its proposal was extremely competitive and, most importantly, we really liked the way Industrial specialist Daniel Alford took time to understand our business and the positive culture temporary staff have to embrace.

“We have over 100 products in our core range and £1m of stock held in our 28,000 sq ft warehouse on Neachells Lane at any one time – combine this with our on-site manufacturing and packaging capabilities for producing customised solutions and there is a significant opportunity for growth with the economy starting to recover from Covid-19.”

MET Recruitment enjoyed a record year in 2020 and this latest deal strengthens a growing reputation for supplying temporary and permanent staff to industrial companies in the West Midlands.

The relationship with Winster first started three years ago and has developed from supplying staff on an ad hoc basis to a more strategic partnership where recruitment needs are mapped out in advance and then supplemented when necessary.

All searches, interviews and checks are completed by the industrial team before placement, with workers usually selected for packing, assembly or logistics tasks.

Matthew Hunter, industrial director at MET Recruitment, commented: “This is a really good Black Country success story of two local companies coming together to ensure the consistent supply of high-quality hoses and assemblies.

“The way we work with Winster is a lot more strategic and something we are trying to achieve with the majority of our customers. It means we can tailor our service to ensure the client receives the staffing support it needs and the quality of workers that will have an immediate positive impact on the shop floor.”

He concluded: “Our sector can sometimes be unfairly labelled for being behind other industries and this is something we want to put right by delivering outstanding service and innovations, including our soon-to-be launched app for streamlining the whole candidate experience.”