InterMetro global manufacturer of storage and transport equipment

Each month, we recognize one of the region’s top
manufacturers with the aid of nepirc, the Northeastern
Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center. Since 1988,
nepirc has been working with manufacturers to improve
their productivity, profitability, competitiveness and
long-term viability through consultative services.
InterMetro global manufacturer of storage and transport equipment
Founded in 1929 by Louis
Maslow in a New York City
loft and later relocated to
Wilkes-Barre, Metro® is the
world’s leading manufacturer
of storage and transport
equipment in the healthcare,
foodservice and commercial
markets.
When Maslow launched his
company in the 1920s, he began by
manufacturing different types of
utensils for the food industry. But
in the 1950s, when he invented and
patented storage and shelving products,
his company began to quickly grow.
With fewer than 100 employees,
Maslow moved the company in
1957 to Wilkes-Barre and opened a
manufacturing facility that is still in
operation today. In fact, Wilkes-Barre
is home to two manufacturing facilities
employing more than 500 people,
Metro’s corporate headquarters, and a
Research and Education Center.
But those plants are only a part
of Metro’s operations. In addition to
Wilkes-Barre, the company has U.S.
facilities in California, Georgia, Ohio
and Philadelphia, as well as Mexico,
China and Germany. Metro employs
more than 2,000 people worldwide.
“The core of our business are the
wire shelving products that have been
the drivers of our growth, making us
a very strong, financially stable, very
healthy and growing business,” said
John Nackley, president and CEO.
“In the mid 1980’s we began to
focus on specific market segments,
namely Healthcare, Commercial, and
Foodservice and Hospitality,” he said.
“Our Healthcare and Foodservice
divisions are our largest and regularly
introduce leading edge innovations.
Our Healthcare division is very
technology driven as we focus on
patient safety,
caregiver efficiency
and medication
management
solutions.
“You can see our
products in most
hospitals, certainly
throughout the
United States and
in many countries
throughout the
world, as well,”
Nackley said.
Since Nackley
became president
of the company in
1996, Metro has
Even though the company’s roots began with steel shelving, Metro’s
largest division is its healthcare division which features mobile carts and
medication dispensing units that can be found in hospitals throughout
the United States and around the world.
Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal · M ay 2012
acquired three healthcare
companies. “This has created
the next generation of the
business which today is a
technology-driven company.
We have wireless technology
with computer-oriented carts.
We have medication dispensing
and medication management
products that are software
driven and these products are
sold in better than 60 countries
around the world,” he said.
Talking about the workforce
in the Wilkes-Barre area,
Nackley said, “Wilkes-Barre is
a specialty manufacturing and
assembly facility which requires
high levels of craftsmanship.
Our associates have a great
work ethic and it shows in the
John Nackley is president and CEO of InterMetro.
longevity of so many associates.
We value and reward associates
fastest growing regions. Our variety
and they do so in return. I am equally
of products and solutions creates
proud of the community involvement
opportunities in virtually all regions of
of our team and how they work to help
the world.
others.”
“We are also expanding into Russia
Looking towards the future, Nackley
and Eastern Europe. We have a facility
said 70 percent of the company’s
going into Eastern Europe in December.
business today is done in the United
And, Latin America, especially in
States and the remaining 30 percent
Mexico and Brazil are also emerging
is conducted around the world. “Asia
markets where we are seeing growth,”
Pacific and the Middle East are our
Nackley said.
View a video about InterMetro Industries at www.nepirc.com/metro
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