Strong in steelwork

The steel company is part of the Altez Construction Group with branches in Oudsbergen, Bree and Tielt. Especially in recent years, the company has been working hard. For example, the structure has changed, plenty of investment has been made in machinery and internal processes have been further optimized. Meco Metal has also been successfully promoted to Execution Class 3. Harry Seijkens, manager of Meco Metal, gives us a look behind the scenes

Meco Metal's headquarters are located in Oudsbergen, a municipality in the province of Limburg. This is also where the engineering office and steel mills are located. "Meco Metal was created after several acquisitions from the Altez Group and became independent in 2018," explains Seijkens. "A deliberate choice so that we could serve not only our parent company but also third parties. This has worked out well. We have grown tremendously in recent years. Despite the crisis, 2020 was one of the best years ever. We have a very strong and healthy performance with a nice mix of projects. From a steel structure to support a ski slope and the skeleton for large logistics companies to steel structures for manufacturing companies and larger structures in the ports."

Meco Metal has high-quality machinery. Seijkens: "We have invested in new and faster bridges, the overhead cranes have all been replaced and a new air purification system has been installed. The internal processes have also been further optimized and much better aligned with each other through the implementation of a completely new ERP system: LiemarX. The cooperation with Liemar has been excellent. It is the first time in my career that a software system has been delivered in accordance with the requirements, within budget and within the agreed timing. These are things you don't often come across in ERP-land. Thanks to the new ERP system, we have an optimal grip on our processes. All workstations have been rearranged and superfluous items have been eliminated. Working according to this LEAN idea guarantees a much more efficient process flow. A new quality management system has also been set up for even better quality control of outgoing materials."

Seijkens emphasizes that within Meco Metal there is absolute equality when it comes to orders from the parent company and from third parties. "We do not apply a priority difference; Altez will never be given priority. The many investments and qualified personnel with welding coordinators and welding engineers have resulted, among other things, in the promotion to Execution Class 3 by January 2021. This means that we can also realize more complex steel constructions, where track and trace is important and we can prove the origin of the materials. We also offer our customers a 24-hour site service. In case of problems, our welders come on site immediately to fix the problem. Our customers appreciate that. In appropriate cases, we can also offer the steel construction including assembly."

Meco Metal will continue to invest in the coming years. "Another new investment plan is ready," Seijkens says proudly. "For example, we are going to set up a new sheet metal working center, for which various talks are already being held with suppliers. We also see further opportunities in increasing capacity and optimizing processes even further. In short, there is always room for improvement. Opportunities that we continue to seize in order to tailor our services as closely as possible to the needs of our customers."