Metal Supermarkets Revamps Strategy for Growth

The distributor of small quantity metals to tool and die makers, fabricators and machine shops adds a franchise management veteran to bring international expertise in business-to-business, business-to-consumer models to its operations.

After an extensive search Metal Supermarkets (Mississauga, ON), the world’s largest supplier of small quantity metals, hired franchise management expert Timothy Tibbs as the director of franchise services and operations.

“I am very pleased to announce that, after an extensive search, Timothy Tibbs has joined our family of companies,” says Stephen Schober, the Metal Supermarkets president and chief executive officer. “In addition to far-reaching operations experience in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer organizations, he has robust sales and marketing know-how. His mandate is to support the continued development and success of our valued franchisees.”

The Metal Supermarkets business concept was established in 1985 in Mississauga. Since then, the distributor has grown to more than 60 franchise locations across Canada, the U.S. and the United Kingdom as the only international brand in the small quantity metals industry, where over 60,000 manufacturing facilities, maintenance departments, tool and die makers, fabricators, machine shops, military and other government departments, hobbyists and home owners rely on its “one stop shopping” for all their small metal requirements and the ability to purchase what they need, when they need it.

In his new role Tibbs will oversee a number of franchisee administration and support services – including preferred provider programs, franchisee support and e-commerce – in addition to strengthening and streamlining best practices. One of the main ways he will accomplish these objectives is through improved franchisee training programs. He intends to take the great things the company and top-performing franchises do and share them throughout the system.

Tibbs’ career in the franchise industry began with Firestone Tires (Akron, OH), where he moved up the company ranks starting as a product manager, then onto managing retail stores, and ultimately moved into franchise marketing and sales when Firestone decided to franchise the tire and automotive centers.

At his next stop, Tibbs helped mobile document destruction franchise, Shred-it (Oakville, ON), grow a network in 14 cities across North America to 65 branches in Asia, South America and Europe – doubling revenue each year. Then, as the director of business development with Mini-Tankers USA, Inc. (Seattle, WA), Tibbs was responsible for the development and growth of franchise and corporate operations.

Recently Tibbs was the executive vice president of operations at Heron Capital Group (Toronto, ON), where he launched two franchise concepts in North America: Proshred Security and Two Men & a Truck. Tibbs started the master franchise of Two Men & a Truck in Canada and expanded it through southern Ontario. Heron Capital also purchased the rights to document management company Proshred Security and six existing franchises in the U.S.

Tibbs helped build the network of franchisees across the United States. During expansion of Proshred, Heron Capital shifted Proshred, under management of a new public company, Redishred Capital. Tibbs was named Chief Operating Officer at Redishred Capital. www.MetalSupermarkets.com