FEATURE
Leadership – Philip Astley , managing director of The Expanded Metal Company .
EXPANDING HORIZONS
No meshing about for historic firm flying Tees flag
You ’ ll see it catching the sunlight on the edges of buildings . Or on the sets of sci-fi films . Perhaps in fencing alongside a railway line … And there ’ s even likely to be some within your home boiler .
Yes , expanded metal – or metal mesh , as it is sometimes referred to – is everywhere .
And it was pioneered by Hartlepoolbased firm The Expanded Metal Company .
The business has been manufacturing expanded metal mesh at its 25,000-plus sq m site on Longhill Industrial Estate since the 1890s .
Indeed , the company was founded by John French Golding , the inventor and patentee of expanded metal : his first British patent was issued in 1884 .
Golding forged partnerships with Hartlepool industrialists Mathew Gray , Christopher Furness and Robert Irving Jr , who together with WB Close , brought the manufacture of expanded metal to Hartlepool .
Since those halcyon days , The Expanded Metal Company has been developing and manufacturing expanded metal for use in filters , architectural cladding , walkways , screens , grilles and a host of other applications .
The company ’ s ExMesh TM security products division supplies security fencing , anti-vandal measures and mesh gates to sectors including transport , defence , telecoms and energy .
And the business has a long-held reputation for innovation .
Its ground-breaking anti-climb solutions were featured on Tomorrow ’ s World ( remember that ?).
Hartlepool-made aluminium mesh clads New York ’ s New Museum , which was named one of the architectural New Seven Wonders of the World .
And its Securilath TM security mesh , born in the aftermath of the Strangeways Prison riot , now protects critical infrastructure worldwide .
However , the last six years have seen The Expanded Metal Company really gain ground – and walk the walk as a true international leader in metal mesh .
Since being acquired by EIH Capital Partners LP in 2016 , the firm has seen overall sales increase by 38 per cent and export sales increase by 41 per cent – despite the challenges of Brexit , the Covid pandemic and the supply chain challenges many manufacturing businesses have faced . So what ’ s behind the success ? There are many factors , according to managing director Philip Astley .
“ The Expanded Metal Company had a proud tradition and was still very much part of Hartlepool ’ s industrial landscape in the mid-2010s ,” he explains .
“ But a period of under-investment had affected staff morale , our brand wasn ’ t flying high in domestic and international markets , and the manufacturing processes and product range needed reinvigoration .
“ From 2016 onwards , we have worked hard to transform the working culture of The Expanded Metal Company – for instance , by introducing town hall meetings and investing in workforce training and development .
“ We wanted to create something
98 | Tees Business