Celebrating over 50 years of service, Mead Metals has become a leading provider of high-quality specialty metals in small quantities to more than 1,000 customers worldwide. 

As a long-time customer said, “I can’t buy 10 pounds of material from anybody else in the market without getting an exorbitant minimum charge that would probably be double what Mead would sell to us.  They are low volume, high quality, competitive, and that’s their niche.”

Founded in 1961, Mead began operations in North Minneapolis to supply brass, steel and other metals to defense contractors, fabricators and stamping companies.  Later, the company realized it was better positioned as a provider of small quantities of specialty, rare and exotic metals to manufacturers who were underserved by large metal distributors.

Mead Metals grew by offering a wide variety of specialty metals and expanding its capabilities for slitting and cutting coils, edge rolling, shearing, and other processing.   In 1976, the company moved to its present location, which provided much needed space for processing equipment and storing inventories.

The company added beryllium copper to its growing inventory in 1983.  Today Mead is the nation’s third largest distributor of the space-age metal, which is stronger than copper and has better electrical transmission properties.

The company came under new leadership in 1993, when it was purchased by Jon Holt, who began his career in metal fabrication with Alcoa, Inc.  The business appealed to him because it was like a store where fabricators could shop for metals in small quantities and control their inventories.

Mead became ISO 9000 certified in 1998, which was a key factor in expanding the company’s national and international customer base.  As a result, the company doubled its facilities in 1999.

The company further expanded its capabilities in 2008 by adding a leveling line to shorten processing and delivery time.  Besides cut-to-length services, the company offers narrow width slitting, de-cambering, gauge correction and temper re-rolling.

In the years ahead, look to Mead for new metals and processing capabilities to meet specialized needs.  Count on Mead Metals to deliver the right quantity at the right time.  The right price.  Every time.

As the head of a major engineering company said, “They’re not just there to sell metal.  They make sure what they sell is best suited to what you need.”