|
Over the past 20 years Eastern Metal Supply has developed and supplied
first-class products for the aluminum and hurricane protection industries.
HP: Please give a detailed description of your company and
its history.
 Bill
Feeley, head of the Eastern Metal hurricane division: Eastern
Metal Supply, Inc. was founded by Susie Walsh and Greg Weekes in
1982. Operations started with just five employees, two of whom are
still with us today: Dianne Schmidt and Joe Siegrist.
The original Florida location has grown into six nationwide service
centers, totaling over 400,000 square feet of distribution and manufacturing
space, and over 12 million pounds of inventory. We now employ more
than 200 people.
In 1989 our Charlotte, NC, branch was opened to better service our
customers in Canada and outside of Florida. The Charlotte location
started out at 22,000 square feet and today stands at 72,000. The
North Carolina branch serves the United States east of the Mississippi
(excluding Alabama, Mississippi and Florida) and eastern Canada.
In 1995 we opened our Houston, TX, branch with 28,000 square feet.
Our new 45,000-square-foot warehouse opened in April 2000. In addition
to the southwestern United States, EMS Texas services Mexico and
Central America.
In January 1999 we opened our newest branch in St. Louis, MO, with
28,000 square feet to serve the northern half of the United States
west of Ohio and western Canada.
 In
the spring of 2001, we opened a new hurricane shutter distribution
center in West Palm Beach, FL. That location is 112,000 square feet
and compliments our 40,000 square feet in Lakeland and the 105,000
square feet at our corporate office in Lake Worth, FL. Our Florida
locations serve the state of Florida and the Caribbean.
HP: What hurricane protection products did you handle initially?
What products do you handle today?
Feeley: The first hurricane protection product developed
by EMS was a non-approved generic accordion shutter with two choices
of shutter blade. The hollow/hollow blade and the hollow/solid blade
were introduced in June 1990. In the spring of 1994 EMS made a major
commitment to the hurricane protection industry. With a tough new
building code adopted in the fall of 1994, EMS introduced the first
accordion shutter to effectively meet impact restrictions and pass
the new code.
We are even more committed today and have tested and approved a
total of three accordion shutters, three roll shutters and a colonial
and Bahama shutter. EMS also provides eight approved hurricane storm
panel systems featuring three see-through panels.
HP: Is your business computerized? Do you have a company
Web site, and how is it used to communicate with customers?
Feeley: All of the Eastern Metal Supply locations are networked
via T-1 and DSL connections. We have a database system that allows
receiving, shipping, purchasing, accounting, credit and manufacturing
to work together for a seamless work flow. We host our own e-mail.
Outside sales and other reps can dial into our server, while in-house
employees simply stay connected through the T-1 and DSL connections.
Each branch also houses file, print and fax servers for on-site
usage.
Through our company’s Web sites (www.easternmetal.com
and www.amshutter.org)
visitors can review products from our huge online database, contact
our employees via e-mail, download digital versions of our line
cards, credit applications and catalog sections and request information
from any of our four branch offices.
Easternmetal.com has added some new features that will benefit our
customers. We have bolstered the existing hurricane products pages
to include more information. The hurricane pages also will include
photographs to further enhance the product descriptions.
New to the site are the EMS news section and the portable document
file (PDF) download area. The PDF section will house digital versions
of our line cards, credit applications, catalog sections and revisions
as well as other high-traffic documents that our customers use.
Adding these great features to an already strong site will surely
generate more traffic to our business in the future. We look forward
to great things from easternmetal.com, and with continued support
from the Eastern Metal Supply family we can stay on the cutting
edge of technology.
HP: Who are your customers? What parts of the country do
you service?
Feeley: Our customers consist of a variety of businesses,
the primary being hurricane and security shutter manufacturers,
wholesalers and installation services. Many of our customers are
diversified and also include railings, fencing, awnings and other
aluminum building products, which we supply.
We service the entire United States and the Caribbean. The majority
of our hurricane protection customers are located in coastal areas.
Wherever storm and security protection is needed we are there.
HP: How many salespeople do you employ?
Feeley: We have a total of 59 salespeople—28 in the
Florida locations, 17 in Charlotte, 10 in Houston and four in St.
Louis.
HP: How has your segment of the industry changed since you
first began?
Feeley: When Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida in
1992 the hurricane protection industry changed dramatically and
forever. In September 1994 Dade County mandated a tough new building
code. An industry that hadn’t changed for 25 years was forced
to change virtually overnight.
In 1995 EMS founded the first approved and recognized shutter association
called the American Shutter Systems Association (ASSA). The ASSA
provided a vehicle for EMS to market its systems to shutter manufacturers
and at the same time spread the cost out to everyone. For example,
the cost to develop the first accordion shutter was close to $60,000;
the cost to each member was only $1,000. Members are required to
be registered, legitimate businesses licensed and insured and capable
of manufacturing. From 1994 to the present EMS along with the ASSA
have been industry leaders in providing cost effective, tested and
approved hurricane storm protection systems.
The EMS storm panel systems have also changed over the last few
years. We have upgraded our equipment to include one of the largest
return legs in the industry. This provides more overlap onto one
another where it is considered to be the weakest area of a panel’s
strength at impact. We were also one of the first panel manufacturers
to provide a safety edge by knurling our panels’ edges. This
feature gives the edge a softer feel and creates better stacking
in storage.
In May 2001, we took delivery of our third roll form machine and
just three months earlier moved our roll form and manufacturing
operation into the hurricane shutter distribution building in West
Palm Beach. This move freed up additional warehouse space at our
Lake Worth home office, thus providing better service to all our
customers.
New products are being developed constantly to keep up with the
latest building codes and changing markets. At EMS progress will
never stop.
HP: What best describes your niche in the marketplace?
Feeley: “Just-in-time” delivery (JIT) is the backbone
of our business today. Stocking inventory and shipping it as needed
saves valuable warehouse space for our customers.
HP: What are some of the key factors involved in your growth
and success?
Feeley: At Eastern Metal Supply we take pride in our employees
and the service they provide to our customers. It is because of
them that we are a successful company today, and we sincerely appreciate
their efforts and dedication.
Service and quality are the keys to our success and will always
be our main priorities. As a result, in the 20 years we have been
in business we have earned a reputation as a first-class supplier
of aluminum products.
HP: What are your strengths in the marketplace?
Feeley: Our strength was developed by setting three primary
goals early in our development: 1.) To serve our customers profitably
through the sale of aluminum extrusions and sheet products. 2.)
To provide a healthy work environment for our employees. 3.) To
make a positive contribution in our communities.
HP: What other products do you offer?
Feeley: Eastern Metal Supply is one of the largest distributors
of aluminum extrusions in the United States. With more than 2,000
custom and standard shapes available, we help our customers complete
their aluminum extrusion inventory. Our six nationwide distribution
centers will ship standard or custom aluminum extrusions efficiently
and economically with our “just-in-time” delivery. We
can stock product inventory for our customers and ship it as needed
to save them valuable warehouse space. Whatever their aluminum needs
may be, we can fill that need affordably and on time.
In addition to our hurricane protection products we also carry welded
and mechanical railing systems, sign frame and awning industry shapes,
marine extrusions and accessories, fencing and wall systems, boat
trailer I-beams and components, dock and ramp systems, window treatment
products and much more.
Eastern Metal Supply, Inc.
4268 Westroads Dr.
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(800) 432-2204
Fax: (561) 841-0852
www.easternmetal.com
www.amshutter.org
|
