Family, team and customers are key to Metzpro’s success over two decades

As the firm celebrates 20 years in business, the team behind it have shown resilience and determination, pride and passion, while delivering to top quality and high standards in abundance.

But, for Managing Director Joseph Pritchard, there are three particular factors which have been key to Metzpro’s continued growth – its family origins, its members – the small team who work for the business – and its loyal and supportive customers.

Metzpro, based in Wednesfield and Telford, was set up in 2004 by Joseph’s father Paul Pritchard and uncle Generoso Corrado, with the support of their wives Carmelena and Marian.

They had laid the foundations two years previously before the launch, starting in Darlaston with a team of less than 10.

It was set up and remains a sub-contract fabrication and machining company, serving machine tool, power generation, recycling, mining and heavy transport industries.

As a company, it excels in one-off bespoke fabrications.

With lifting capacity of 40T, the business is able to offer a wide range of fabrications from large one-off structures to regular production of consumable and replacement components.

As a family company, Metzpro has built up an excellent reputation throughout the country for producing high-quality work at an affordable cost.

They pride themselves on being large enough to accommodate the most demanding requirements but say they are still small enough to care for clients on a one-to-one basis.

The firm’s mission, it says, is to continually produce high quality, accurate work at an affordable price, delivered error free and on time ensuring the company becomes a customer’s one and only preferred supplier.

Metzpro utilises the ISO 9001 Standard as the basis of all the company’s quality assurance. In practice, this means that procedures, work instructions, traceability and all factors associated with enduring that the components and service are of the highest quality are incorporated.

Joseph joined in 2007 and with Paul and Generoso now retired, works alongside cousin Joanne Parker, who is the Financial Director.

Joseph’s sister Jennifer Pritchard and Joanne’s husband Andrew Parker are also part of the team.

“Family is one of the things that makes us different,” says Joseph. “We have used that to our strength and it’s been a key reason in our success.

“I believe, as a family business, it means we are a very caring business and I am immensely proud to work with them.

“We have each other’s back and that’s a great thing for us.

“It’s nice that Metzpro was handed down to us to continue and hopefully we can pass down to the next generation of family, moving forward.”

Metzpro’s team and customers, Joseph adds, also contribute to the recipe for success.

“Some of the team – we call them members – have been with us since the first day we started,” he says. “They are extremely hard working and very loyal and we love them all to bits.

“They are the essence of our company and we are very proud of them. We work together as a team and those on the shop floor understand what other members do in the offices and vice versa.”

Joseph adds: “Our customers have been so loyal and I have to say a very special thank you to them.£

“There are customers we still do work for now who gave us work at the very start of Metzpro.

“Our customers have helped us become the company we are today. Without our customers and our team, we would be nothing.”

After launching 20 years ago, Metzpro soon started to grow and push forward.

As the business began to expand, new premises needed sourcing and they moved from Darlaston to Neachells Lane Industrial Estate, Neachalls Lane, Wednesfield, in 2007, where they remain today.

“It’s a hub and the heart of industrial activity and a big reason why we moved here,” adds Joseph. “As the years have progressed, we have taken more and more units on at the site. As well as bigger facilities we have better access to things all around.”

Metzpro weathered the storm of the recession in 2009 when other competitors were unable to, highlighting a determination to succeed and resilience to maintain business and deliver to the highest of standards.

From that point the company pushed for more work and the team doubled in size as the business expanded.

In 2015, Metzpro invested heavily in its machinery which has enabled it to continue to deliver work to the highest of standards.

Working with customers in different engineering sectors has given the business the experience of manufacturing a variety of fabricated and machined goods in carbon steels, stainless steels and aluminium.

Its highly talented work force has the skills, knowledge and ability to be able to deliver the exacting standards required by the most demanding of customers.

All aspects of manufacture are project managed from initial enquiry analysis, to drawing office breakdown, through to procurement of material, post weld heat treatments, machining and metal finishes.

The company aims to keep as much of the build in-house as possible ensuring shorter lead times and reduce unnecessary costs.

Attention to detail is critical which is why Metzpro is ISO 9001 approved and holds a number of welding procedures and approvals in most welding techniques. The progress of the company over two decades has been hugely impressive.

For example, by 2022, order books were growing to such an impressive point that Metzpro took on more staff and the management realised they had outgrown the Wednesfield site.

As a result, they took on a further factory in Telford, which has 40-tonne lifting capacity.

Now the team is looking towards an even brighter future as it looks to build on two decades of success. It is also working with local schools and colleges to offer potential opportunities to apprentices.

“We have an ever-expanding order book and we are always actively looking for new customers as we grow,” adds Joseph.

“We are looking forward to the future and have just invested in more new machines.

“Last year we had our best on record, in terms of turnover, profit and margins. We doubled expectations but we always stay humble and never rest on our laurels. We hope to continue to grow and, as a result, we have taken on more staff and the Telford site is now up to its full potential.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved as a company since starting out and thank our customers and team. I believe the only way is up for us.

“We are always looking to make investment into the business and hopefully we are here in another 20 years time and another 20 years after that,” Joseph concludes.