Black Country firm helps to clean up scrap metal industry
A BLACK Country metals company is pioneering a system designed to help the scrap metal industry to comply with new legislation that outlaws cash deals.
Mason Metals Ltd, based in Brierley Hill, has devised a system with local company Ice Blue which complements the Barclays payments process and enables the company to pay customers for their scrap metal either electronically or by cheque.
This follows the introduction of legislation brought in last December to try and curb the black market in stolen metal.
Founded in 1960, H. A. Mason Metals was originally formed by Harry Mason with the help of his three sons. Current managing director and owner Andy Jones joined the business in 1996. He became a director in 1999 before going on to become MD in 2003. He eventually bought the business in 2007.
Today the business employs 25 people and operates from two sites – Two Woods Lane in Brierley Hill and Vernon Road in Halesowen. The business has over 5,000 customers (both commercial and non-commercial) which have to be registered with the business and identity checks carried out.
Mr Jones said: “The new legislation has presented the opportunity to professionalise the industry and we see this very much as a positive. We have embraced this change and have worked alongside Barclays to introduce a system that not only complies with regulation but also produced efficiencies across the business to manage our cashflow position.”
Earlier this year, Barclays provided £100,000 of funding to enable the company to purchase a new FUCHS ‘grabber’ which assists the business in moving materials around the site.
Barclays’ relationship director Jas Khunkun said: “This lending formed part of the Funding for Lending scheme and the business received a cash back facility of £2,000 which they were able to use towards implementing the system.”
