In 2007 the Exmet Group was formed, bringing together the experience and business acumen of Chairman John Cowley, Managing Director Nigel Dickinson and Trading Director Roger Hall. Eight months on, and the company has already acquired three well know brands in the building/DIY markets and is well on its way to securing further acquisitions and achieving a £50million turnover by the end of 2009.

Managing Director Nigel Dickinson outlines Exmet's plans for the future.

Eight months on and you seem to have hit the ground running. How have you found the whole process?
We’re actually well ahead of schedule. The first thing we did on acquiring the company was to produce a 100 day plan which was followed to the letter. Part of this included the integration of Metpost from its site in South Wales to Hartlepool, which was completed in just six weeks. Our first priority was simply to limit any potential disruption to the existing account base, and I think that’s been highly successful because the acquisition has been very well received.

Are there more acquisitions in the pipeline?
There’s always something in the pipeline. We have a very clear vision about our expansion plans and our team has an expert understanding of the market. Part of that is knowing that every step we take is as important as the next. You have to walk before you can run. Too many businesses fail because they don’t dot the I’s and cross the T’s. It’s so easy to make the mistake of thinking a business that’s been doing well for a number of years will continue to do so without any effort, but the industry is changing and you need to get a well structured strategy in place and change with it if you want to succeed. Development is essential not only to move forward but simply to stay in a relative position.

What are Exmet’s plans for the next few years?
We will continue on the acquisition trail, whilst striving to improve efficiency and keep costs under control. We will also continue to maintain a strong presence with the national merchants, and with buying groups, national retailers and specialist distributors, all of whom are essential for ongoing development. In addition to this we will ensure that our leading brands retain their standing at the forefront of the market whilst striving to improve the position of new acquisitions. Powerplace, for example currently holds 8% of the market for wall ties, but we are confident that we can increase this to 20% within the next 18-24 months. We also expect the Exmet Group as a whole, to turnover £50m by the end of 2009, through growth and development and it’s our aim to achieve £100m within the next 5 years through acquisition.

What’s the secret of Exmet’s success?
I think a lot of our success is our autonomy. We make decisions and act upon them quickly and efficiently. This has major benefits to everyone, our employees, because they don’t have to deal with lots of red tape to get things moving and also our customers who have the satisfaction of knowing we are a pro-active, fast responding, forward thinking company.