(Artwork Credit: Marina Lima)

As Labor Day approached, it was natural to reflect on a job well done. Metcam founders Bruce Hagenau and Jerry Ward, with their team of 150 dedicated employees, can now celebrate three decades’ worth of precision sheet metal fabrication, finishing, assembly and logistics.

“Longevity and staying power are certainly things to be proud of, but they wouldn’t be possible without the daily commitment and performance of our great people here at Metcam,” said Hagenau. “The 30 candles on the cake certainly don’t tell the whole story!”

The Alpharetta, Ga.-based company was named Georgia Manufacturer of the Year in 2018, among several honors won last year, and posted a record 4thquarter. Metcam takes great pride not only in serving customers, but also being a good neighbor and community partner. That can be seen in its environmental sustainability initiatives or when the company partners with various academic institutions and hosts area students on Manufacturing Day.

It’s easy to sit back and enjoy the many awards and accomplishments, but the sign of a strong company is how it deals with adversity. Metcam was borne out of bankruptcy, persevered through 50 percent staff cuts during the telecom downturn and 9-11, and, most recently, battled back from a $6 million loss to foreign fabricators.

“Custom fabrication is a tough business,” Ward told the Atlanta Business Chronicle in August. “I call the hard part ‘keeping all the balls in the air.’ You are hit with labor, material, engineering and quality issues. You have to stay on your toes to keep it all flowing to make deliveries on time so you can keep your customers and their customers happy.”

One No. 1 hit song in 1989, the year Metcam was founded, conveyed a message about the importance of taking a chance and bouncing back from adversity. The award-winning precision sheet metal fabricator has done that and much more. Here’s to the next 30 years!