As pioneer of expanded metal mesh, also referred to as metal mesh, The Expanded Metal Company has not rested on its laurels. In our more than 125-year history we have continued to be an innovator and a leader in manufacturing.
The Expanded Metal Company was founded by John French Golding, the inventor and patentee of expanded metal. He forged partnerships with Hartlepool industrialists Mathew Gray, Christopher Furness and Robert Irving Jr., who together with W.B Close, brought the manufacturing of expanded metal to Hartlepool in 1989.
And all these years later we are still operating from the same 25,000+ sqm facility, employing more than 80 members of staff, who are often recruited from the local community.
Our strong commitment to product development is something that has been consistently demonstrated in recent years and can be seen in the series of significant investments we have made in people, machinery and the facility.
This has included introducing town hall meetings, workforce training and development, often delivered by local partners. We also strive to create a working environment that staff feel a part of – and are proud of.
Our apprenticeship programme is something we feel proud about since its launch, more than five years ago. We currently have seven apprentices in post, two are in their final year, one beginning new / extended learning and four in their first year. We also have several former apprentices now forging their careers as permanent staff, in roles including product development, maintenance and administration.
One former apprentice, Kalem Ainsley, played an integral role, working with a team from the SAM project, to develop our modular security cages range. The cages are an important addition to our security range and were developed to meet market demand for a robust and cost-effective alternative to static cages.
The flat packed cages are available for next day delivery throughout most of the UK or can be completely customisable – highlighting the skills of the team to work to requirements. Such as when the team designed and manufactured a smaller mesh for the cage panels to prevent the ingress of pests to a cage being used for the storage of bins at a secondary school.
Other examples of when our team has applied its extensive design and manufacturing expertise, can be seen in our Securilath™ security mesh which was developed following the Strangeways Prison riot. Through unsecured walls and ceilings prisoners were able to gain access to the prison’s rooftops and other wings. Securilath™ was designed to fit discreetly in internal and external walls. LPCB tested and accredited to LPS 1175 SR 1, SR 2 and SR 3, it now protects critical infrastructure worldwide.
Looking further back, in 1981, we created our Anti-Vandal Scaling Barrier which uses metal panels set around a central rotating bar, preventing intruders from getting a foothold. The product was showcased on the BBC programme Tomorrow’s World as an alternative to broken glass being placed on the top of walls. And it continues to be widely used as an anti-climb measure.
When we developed ExMesh™, a range of British-made innovative fencing systems and security solutions which protect people, property and infrastructure from an array of threats, Securilath™ found a natural fit within this security range.
Though we can be biased and think expanded metal always looks good – we do also offer a range of highly aesthetic products, typically with architectural applications. An example can be found in the aluminium mesh cladding on New York’s New Museum, a building that has been named one of the architectural New Seven Wonders of the World.
And did you know we were also the first UK fencing manufacturer to be awarded Secured by Design (SBD) status for our high security mesh perimeter fencing. SBD is the official police security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings.
We continue to stock and supply a wide range of high-quality expanded metal mesh products and offer specialist capabilities in metal work, such as cutting, welding, drilling, punching, shearing and roll forming. Give us a call or an email if you’d like to know more about our additional services.
Through a £1m investment programme, which began in 2018 we were able to replace existing lighting with more energy-efficient LED lighting systems and invest in the refurbishment of specialist manufacturing equipment. We also reinstated maintenance contracts to ensure the safe and efficient running of our machinery now and in the future.
Most recently, substantial investment has been made into highly bespoke technology to broaden our already expansive portfolio. Enabling us to support the most demanding contemporary markets such as lightning strike protection, hydrogen production and fuel cells. This is in addition to supplying expanded metal mesh products through our and high-class production capabilities to sectors including construction, filtration, engineering, transport, utilities, automotive, aerospace and architecture.
Generations of people from the Tees Valley have contributed to the success of The Expanded Metal Company throughout our history and we’re proud to say that our current team is building on this legacy.
Through our activities we are laying down the foundations for future growth. Investing in skills and expertise means supporting a new generation of expanded metal specialists – and that means creating opportunities for young people in Hartlepool and the wider region.
And, in the last six years we have seen overall sales increase by 38% and export sales increase by 41%, this is despite the challenges of Brexit, the Covid pandemic and supply chain challenges faced by many manufacturing businesses.
If you’d like to know more about working with an innovator and a champion of skills in manufacturing in Britain, contact our highly technical and skilled team who support contractors and end users at all stages of their projects.
GBP