News & Events

Metro Industries Obtains ISO 9000 Certification

(October 2008) 

MI Passes Rigid Aerospace 9003 Quality Audit

(August 23, 2005)  Crossing an important hurdle, Metro breezed through a 20 point onsite quality audit August 23, 2005.  Having been qualified by audits to numerous standards in the past, Sales Manager Eric Halleck said this was the first to the higher AS-9003 standard and a milestone in Metro's efforts to stay "ahead of the curve" as a world-class OEM supplier.   According to Halleck, the AS-9003 seeks to standardize "the quality system requirements of the aerospace industry," and, therefore, sets a high bar for mechanical component part suppliers like Metro.  However, he adds, when you cross a hurdle like that, you find yourself in a "much more select group of suppliers competing for major manufacturer component part business." 

Conducted on behalf of Honeywell Avionics, the audit uncovered one minor finding, which Halleck said was a documentation lapse that the auditors agreed had no tangible effect on operational quality and would be easily corrected.   Otherwise, he said the auditors seemed quite impressed with Metro's overall operation and control of quality.   One of the two, Supplier Quality Engineer Mansour Nouri, also took note of the notable equipment and facility upgrades effected since his last visit, and both he and Mike Teague, Operations Engineer, were impressed by the thoroughness of Metro's three-level quality system documentation (Manual, Standard Procedures, and Work Instructions) in contrast to others they review.

Consumer Products Website Unveiled

(July 10, 2005)  Officially online as of July 9, 2005, MI has launched a new internet-based consumer products outlet at web address www.standard-gasket.com.   Standard-Gasket.com is aimed at addressing what Vice-President and General Manager Phil Maxwell calls the "new paradigm of part supply."   He explains that until the advent of the internet, those needing mechanical parts had very few sources to choose from beyond local retail unless they worked in a corporate purchasing department, and even then had little more than the Yellow Pages, Thomas Register, and whatever mail, phone, or personal solicitations they received to find sources for what were inherently "basic" parts.   The "old paradigm of supply," Maxwell claims, "gave consumers very few options, but now they simply logon to the internet and have instant access to thousands of suppliers for about everything under the sun."   However, he adds, most of those seeking to buy products at any level above retail find very little useful information on the internet, which he says is "old school" protectionism that won't stand in the information age. 

The theme of the new venture, according to Maxwell, is "standardizing everything," which he explains as categorizing the thousands of parts they've been making for decades as "custom" products made to customer specifications into definable ranges of standard products, complete with published dimensions, tolerances, physical properties, and, especially, prices.  For instance, he cites rubber washers as a basic component found in endless products in various styles, but online "rubber washer" offerings include only manufacturers soliciting requests for quotations and very limited retail options.  That leaves a "big hole in the supply line for busy entrepreneurs and purchasing professionals looking to the internet as their primary resource for sourcing suppliers, and that's what Standard-Gasket.com is all about... They need to know what you are offering in detail, and, above all, they need to know what it will cost."

Immediate plans include unveiling standard product lines for rubber washers, o-rings, plastic washers, flange-gaskets, sponge weather stripping, rubber grommets, and others.  

Metro Aces Annual Quality Audit

(May 29, 2005)  In an on-site audit by BE Aerospace Supplier Quality Manager, Dennis L. Roehl, Metro was given a clean bill of health with a "No Findings" result.  Aside from a general review of the overall ISO 9002 Quality system, this year's audit focused on Purchasing and Receiving, which were found to be in compliance with the detailed standards required of aerospace industry component suppliers.   

Mr. Roehl also highly commended Metro's historical on time delivery and quality performance, and discussed several current and future supplier-related initiatives, none of which were thought to require any significant changes for Metro.  One change, a radical shortening of their "on time" delivery window, was effected in seconds during his visit using Metro's automated system that calculates both "Not Before" (NB) and "No Later Than" (NLT) shipping dates on all orders based on individual customer criteria.

MI Receives "Outstanding Supplier" Award

(March 7, 2005)  In recognition of outstanding quality and delivery performance, veterinary equipment manufacture, DeLaval, Inc., has awarded Metro with their "Outstanding Supplier" award.   Signifying the honor, Director of Sourcing J. Mark Juett personally presented a plaque to the entire Metro staff, who he highly commended for the hard work and accomplishments evident in Metro's superior quality and service performance.

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Metro Industries, Inc. 4018 E. 137th Terrace  Grandview, Missouri  64030 (USA) Centrally located in the Greater Kansas City area . © All materials copyright  Metro Industries, Inc., 1967-2005      Last modified: January 17, 2010 For Large Orders, Custom Quotes, Company Info, Technical Assistance: Email: sales@metrogasket.com Phone: 800-545-8578/ 816-763-7277 x302 Fax: 816-763-0476 Attn: Sales For Existing Orders or Standard/Semi-Standard Product Inquiries (O-Rings, Flange Gaskets, Rubber Washers, Sponge Stripping, Sheet Rubber, etc.): Email: custserv@metrogasket.com Phone: 800-545-8578 / 816-763-7277 x350 Fax: 816-763-0476 Attn: Customer Service

Metro Industries proudly operates under an ISO 9001:2008 Quality System (click to view certificate)