What is Metpro?

Despite holding the position of Managing Director since August 2019, this is often a question I have struggled to answer myself.

As a former customer of Metpro, and although not involved in the day-to-day relationship, I only ever heard good things. They had stock. They always let us know when things were and were not going to plan. They had excellent in-house technical knowledge. Overall, the ideal supplier.

Once I had officially joined Metpro, I was so pleased to discover that the good stories I had heard were in fact true. The business was very efficient, responsive and reliable, a true customer service outfit. The (at the time) 55,000sq/ft warehouse was not only stocked full of quality products, but it was also impeccably tidy and organised. The fully equipped quality control laboratory was using the latest technology and equipment to conduct in-depth daily tests, ensuring all products were fit-for-purpose. A focussed product development team were offering their technical suggestions on OEM customer products, before making the necessary adjustments on a 3D model to create a fully realised prototype using a state-of-the-art 3D printer.

This was not merely a customer service outfit.

As is normal when taking on any role with seniority, one the first things you do is look at what you have, what you say, and how you say it. In effect, what is the brand? Upon joining Metpro, the company was divided down the middle between a mechanical & electrical commodities supplier, and a manufacturing division supporting OEMs. To clarify, the staff were not at odds in any way, quite the opposite in fact.

One side of the office, Metpro M&E, used purple as its primary colour and the website/advertising heavily featured an Emu (a confusing campaign to this day). The other, Metpro Global Manufacturing, utilised orange with its central image being a mountain climber, suspended confidently against a sheer drop.

I thought this was a bit odd but not an uncommon approach. The service offerings of both divisions were very different after all. One thing however did stand out. I never heard one customer say they worked with or were a customer of either Metpro M&E or Metpro Global Manufacturing.

So, we made one change – harmonise both divisions under one banner: Metpro.

We then updated our visual identity. People were relocated in the office to encourage knowledge sharing. We expanded and enhanced our sales & marketing approach and introduced regular team briefings to share our progress and ensure alignment.

These adjustments led to a substantial number of further slight changes, all of which have had an impact to the point where the company now feels completely different, without having lost any of its ‘customer first’ ethic.

This new, fresh approach for the business was a positive step forward. Not only was our brand more aligned, but our entire business also became more aligned as there was no invisible division between areas. We started to think more outside the box. Our heads came above the parapet as we realised there was so much more to Metpro than there was in the boxes we had created for ourselves.

And then 1st of July 2021 came along.

Metpro acquired Demon Cato, a manufacturing brand most prominently associated with the Conlok conduit system.

This was the most significant moment for us since our stock-heavy response to the 2008 recession, and it led to a great deal of thought about how best to move this brand forward.

Ultimately and paradoxically, after much discussion and personal reflection, we finally agreed that the best way forward was to look to the past; we needed two brands.

Now it is fair to say this decision raised a few eyebrows internally, but that was to be expected.

So why were we doing this?

Well, it is quite a simple answer; branding. Demon Cato was established in 2008 and has grown into a recognisable and respected company, and more importantly one that is known as a manufacturer. We all agreed we would be fools to simply do away with this and adopt the products and customer base.

Taking on Demon Cato also exposed us to multiple opportunities which we felt would likely be weakened if we were to lose the branding.

It is also worth noting that Metpro itself has been manufacturing products since its inception in 1995. This is not widely known and is effectively due to a lack of communication, but arguably also due to not having the proper vehicle to share this message at the time.

Further to this and again by looking backwards, this time at our now 26-year history, it was clear that we had never really stated exactly who we are and what we do.

And this brings us to the writing of this article (albeit with a significant amount of work having gone on in the background). It is time to confirm the opening question and formally introduce you to Metpro Group.

What is Metpro Group?

Metpro Group is a leading multi-service manufacturer & supplier of cable management products to Electrical Wholesalers and bespoke components to OEM businesses, comprised of two divisions as follows:

Metpro – supplying the electrical wholesale industry with cable management products.

Demon Cato – bespoke manufacturers for OEMs and delivering innovative products and solutions to the construction industry.

So, there you have it, an insight into our history and how we define ourselves today. We hope this offers clarity around Metpro Group and our overall offering. If you have any questions or would like to know more about how we can support your business, please do not hesitate to contact me directly, or alternatively a member of our team on 0121 552 2100 or by email at [email protected].