Left to right: Angelika Chmielewska (MET Recruitment), Rebecca Grainger (Isaac H. Grainger) and Adam Wheeler (MET Recruitment)

A Black Country manufacturer that has its products installed in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, The Shard and Birmingham’s iconic Rotunda building has posted a record year. Isaac H Grainger and Son Ltd, which is a market leader in the manufacture of raised access flooring pedestals, has seen a rise in sales after securing a surge of reshoring successes.

The 158-year-old Cradley Heath historic business has extended its long-standing relationship with MET Recruitment to help it meet increases in demand from customers in the UK and overseas. This means that, at any one time, the firm could have tens of temporary workers sourced by the Dudley recruitment specialist, with some candidates vetted and supplied with just a few hours’ notice.

Rebecca Grainger, sales and marketing director designate, said: “We are one of the leading names in access flooring and the only UK manufacturer of flooring pedestals, and this unique position gives us an immense sense of pride. An access floor has almost become a necessity in offices, commercial spaces, data centres and sporting stadium owing to their unmatched convenience and benefits. With Covid-19 making people rethink the lengths of their supply chain, there is a groundswell of customers choosing suppliers closer to home.”

She added: “Sales are up, and we have increased our core workforce to just over 65 people, nearly half of whom have been sourced by MET Recruitment. We have worked with the recruitment agency for 14 years and it has really been incredible. The company’s advisors know our business better than anyone and this is reflected in the quality of staff it finds and sends to us. In the last six months alone, we have turned twenty temporary workers into permanent staff.”

Ambitious plans
Now in its sixth-generation of family ownership, Isaac H Grainger has ambitious plans to build on the recent expansion by diversifying its engineering expertise to look at new tubing product opportunities both at home and abroad.

Driving this strategy is investment in the latest machinery and extensive growth and improvements at its factory, as well as the pending launch of a more interactive website and proactive marketing campaigns.

“There is no reason why we won’t have our best year in sales yet and as a result we will need to constantly attract new talent,” added Rebecca, who is joined in the business by her father Robin, sister Amelia, uncle Ivan and cousin Nathan.

“This means we will need more operators, assembly line workers, maintenance technicians and customer service representatives to join the team, all roles that MET Recruitment have found for us in the past and will continue to supply in the future.

“MET Recruitment was superb during the pandemic, and we have built a strategic partnership with the company that stretches beyond the shopfloor — working together to support the local communities we both operate in. Ultimately, we want the right people to join our Grainger family and have formed a concrete relationship with the recruitment company along the way to acheive this.”

Matthew Hunter, industrial director at MET Recruitment, said: “Isaac H Grainger was one of our first clients when Robin Tong took over the business in 2008, and I am delighted to say that we are still supplying it with workers 14 years on.

“There are many issues with the labour market currently and firms are struggling to fill vacancies. Our 500-strong pool of candidates means we always have access to staff — at varying skills levels — to overcome these challenges and give clients real flexibility in their workforce requirements.”

Originally set up to supply staff to the mechanical and electrical trades, MET Recruitment has gone from three people in a small office on the Pensnett Trading Estate in Dudley to a 23-strong agency operating from a dedicated head office in the town, as well as a second office at the Waterfront in Brierley Hill.

Investment in its 360deg recruitment solution for clients and an industry-best support infrastructure for candidates has helped MET Recruitment secure a strong client base across engineering, manufacturing and professional services.