Founded in 1981 by majority shareholder Russ Finsness and 3 partners, MetPlas traces its roots back to a 10,500 square foot leased location in Glenshaw, PA. The original business plan was based on revenue projections derived from the former Westinghouse Transportation Division and other local companies. Within 2 years, MetPlas was operating at a profit and establishing a pattern of steady growth and a reputation built on quality. Fast forward to September 1988 and MetPlas made the move to an ultra modern 24,600 square foot facility of its own located in Natrona Heights, PA. At this time, MetPlas had already grown to around 20 employees. The same period also saw the opening of a new facility in Columbia, South Carolina that was designed to serve other Westinghouse units in the southeast. After 5 years, the decision was made to close the South Carolina plant and centralize all production in the Pittsburgh facility. In November 1994, MetPlas made the commitment to embark on a World Class Manufacturing Program headed by the late Tom Goodrich. Seven teams were formed including: Quality Improvement, Set-up Reduction, Plant Equipment & Maintenance, Purchasing, Assembly/Paint/Finish, Thru-put Reduction, MIS and Plant Layout. The results of the program were seen the following year when sales increased by 48% with only a 17% increase in direct labor while inventories declined by 56%. MetPlas grew another 10,800 square feet in 1998 with an addition to the existing building that was required by the extreme upswing in business. A stand alone climate controlled quality/inspection room was also added during this period to remove factors such as heat and humidity from effecting the QC equipment. From 1998-2000 MetPlas experienced an astounding 63% growth rate that ranked us 4th under the manufacturing category in the entire region. Three years later, at the end of 2001, MetPlas faced another dilemma dealing with space. This time it centered around finished goods. A mezzanine area and shelving was then added to accommodate customer stocking programs to reflect the industry trends of J.I.T. and Kan-ban that many OEM's were turning to. This decision was an extremely cost effective solution compared to another building expansion program. MetPlas was recognized by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2001 as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies in the region and then again in 2002 for the category of Largest Revenue Percentage Growth of all top companies in the Pittsburgh area. ISO certification was achieved in 2004 after an extreme amount of hard work and diligence by MetPlas employees of all levels. The certification has been a welcomed addition by minimizing or completely eliminating audits by our customers, especially those in medical related industries. 2008 continued the pattern of growth with the addition of over 14,000 square feet of manufacturing space to the existing building; thereby positioning MetPlas for many more years of prosperity with an ever expanding customer base.
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