MRS BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE

Step 1: Evaluate your marketplace

Research into the activity and needs of your market is an important first step in determining the direction your budding business should go.

• What profile or profiles do you plan on selling    

This is an important first step in identifying the proper piece of equipment and price point for the equipment.  It will also dictate inventory requirements and shop space. You can gauge what your competitors are doing to better grasp the needs of the market place.  The panel profiles and needs can vary geographically as well.

• What is your estimated volume of sales year 1     

The sales volume relates directly to your production needs for both equipment; rollforming and trim, as well as your facility and ancillary items like forklifts and delivery needs.

• What is your estimated or goal for sales in year 5

Determining your goals for the future will help you to better plan how to get there.  It is not uncommon for customers to double in sales by the second year and to continue to grow at a rapid pace.  Determining the volume you will need to produce will greatly influence which machine is right for your operation.

Step 2: Evaluate your needs / determine your budget

Now that you understand your marketplace how are you going to service it, and what equipment is needed to service it properly?  Most Rollforming operations start with 3 important pieces of equipment. Keep in mind most operations have a positive cash flow the first year and an ROI of 3-5 years.  MRS works closely with financing companies and provides an excellent financial analysis tool for use in estimating growth and profitability.

• Panel Rollformer

This machine is the heart of your production shop and should be of the highest quality.  All MRS equipment is designed and manufactured in the USA. The majority of MRS panel lines also offer the ability to blank flat sheets for your trim shop, a significant advantage that saves you funds and shop space.

• Folder / Trim Brake

The trim folder will be used to bend up all of your trim parts.  Although MRS does not sell any folders we have numerous connections throughout the industry and would be happy to assist in your search.  Sizes can range from 10’ – 20’ in length. Production capacity of your folder should be directly related to estimated sales volumes from 1(B) and 1(C)

• Slitter / Shear

The MRS Pre Cut Rollformers can take the coil and blank it to length for trim; 10’, 12’, 20’ and more.  Once a stack of sheets is made either a Slitter or a Shear can be utilized to reduce the width of the coil (typically 40.875”-43”) down to the appropriate width for your trim pieces.  Shears are advantageous for making quick width changes, Slitters shine when you set up to run production quantities as they make multiple cuts in a single pass.

Feel free to give one of our sales engineers a call and we can review in greater detail what item(s) best suits your needs and budget.

Step 3: Determine your partners

A quality piece of equipment from Metal Rollforming Systems, which is designed, manufactured, and built in the United States will sit at the heart of your operation and properly maintained will provide decades worth of service.  We pride ourselves on support and service both during and after the sales process. With a comprehensive inventory, a full machine and fabrication shop, along with technical support staff that has experience building the equipment, we have the parts and service you need at a moments notice.   In addition to our equipment we have excellent contacts in the following areas:

• Coil Suppliers

• Lending Institutions

• Screw Suppliers

• Closure and accessory suppliers

• MUCH MORE . . .

Step 4: Develop and execute your business plan

Now that you have ascertained a NEED, and found the best EQUIPMENT and PARTNERS, it is time to formulate and execute a business plan that will set you up for success.  There are 3 main things to consider when formulating a successful business strategy in the Metal Roofing industry.

• Service

As a smaller company, you will be more maneuverable and find it easier to provide same or next day service to your customers.  It is imperative to make offering the highest level of service your number one priority.  Many a small startup has gone toe to toe with the larger corporations and been successful by offering the best service available.

• Price

Price is a large motivator for contractors and homeowners.  Work closely with your coil supplier to negotiate the best pricing structure.  Keep in mind that as a startup your buying power may not rival the larger companies, but your overhead will be small allowing you to operate on a tighter margin.

• Capability

Here you can find a niche that may not be currently filled in your marketplace.

• Long trim for 1-piece corners or rakes
• Delivery and packaging options such as roll-off trucks, rental trailers, or Moffett style forklifts
• Additional color offerings or exotic colors like wood grain or camouflage
• Additional designer profiles

Closing

These four items provide the ingredients for a successful rollforming operation.  The remainder of the recipe is hard work, perseverance, and a desire to offer a higher level of service.  This is the same recipe that we at Metal Rollforming Systems work hard towards daily. You will see it when dealing with anyone from our organization; from Sales Engineers to Service techs we all abide by the saying:

“Service is the lifeblood of our organization. Everything flows from it and is nourished by it.
Customer service is not a department, it’s an attitude.”