Metra Group is a global manufacturer of complex extruded aluminum profiles, with nine production plants located in Italy, Canada, and the U.S. Recently, the company reaffirmed its presence in North America through the formation of a new business unit, Metra North America. The new unit was formed through the acquisition and merger of three premier U.S. and Canadian aluminum extrusion companies — Extruded Aluminum Company (EAC), Profile Custom Extrusions, and Metra Canada. Bringing these extruders together under a single banner enables the new business to provide North American customers with exceptional aluminum extrusion quality, reliability, and worth.
“Our collective teams have been operating in North America for decades, so we have a long history in dealing with both the opportunities and challenges the market presents,” said Colin Brosmer (Figure 1), president, Metra North America. “As Metra North America, we have a robust extruded aluminum platform that will not only help us raise the bar, but also help our customers exceed theirs.”
Company Profile
Metra Group was originally founded under the name IMET in 1962 as a producer of extruded profiles. In the decades following, the company expanded its operations through expansions and acquisitions. The company has four plants in Italy—located in Rodengo Saiano (four presses, along with various machining and welding stations, a vertical paint line, and thermal break lines), Serravalle Scrivia (one press line), Montale (machining and welding), and Villafranca (kitting and manufacturing). This is in addition to its five plants in Canada and the U.S. (discussed later), for a total of nine global operations. The company has an estimated overall capacity of 190,000 tpy, serving a wide range of industries, including automotive, building and construction, industrial, and the rail sector.
In July 2021, Metra Group was acquired by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity fund based in New York, as part of KPS’ plan to expand its aluminum business. Transitioning ownership under KPS provided Metra Group with access to additional financial resources and the opportunities that would enable it to achieve its ambitious international strategic development objectives. Notably, it enabled Metra to merge its European presence with its Canada and U.S. operations and acquisitions in order to form Metra North America.
Merging Operations
Brosmer pointed out that the strategy to build a footprint in North America has been in place since 2021. “Initially, this strategy was carried out mainly through acquisition, which has been our focus over the last couple of years,” he explained. When KPS Capital Partners acquired the global Metra Group business in 2021, it included Metra Canada, which is comprised of two extrusion facilities located in Laval, Quebec, and Alma, Quebec, Canada.
KPS also acquired Profile Custom Extrusions, LLC in July 2021. From its single facility in Rome, GA, Profile Custom Extrusions produces a variety of custom extrusions for diverse markets, including construction, HVAC, transportation, electrical, and marine. The extruder also provides value-added capabilities, such as painting.
Meanwhile, Metra S.p.A. completed the acquisition of Belding Machinery and Equipment Leasing, LLC and its subsidiaries in October 2023, including EAC. Since 1987, EAC has grown from a two-press operation to its current five press lines located at its facilities in Belding (Figure 2) and Kentwood, MI. The company is a leading U.S. manufacturer of custom extruded profiles and related value-added fabrication and assembly services, supplying the solar, transportation, military, material handling, residential, commercial construction, and marine applications.
Together, the three companies provide nearly six decades of collective extrusion, fabrication, and finishing experience. “The companies that were acquired have long established themselves as market leaders in the geographies they operate,” said Brosmer, who added that with this scale of capabilities in North America, it became clear that Metra needed to bring them all together under a single brand—Metra North America. “Today, our new North American footprint provides customers with robust capabilities and redundancies from two different countries, reaching from the northern parts of Canada to the southern portion of the U.S.”
Serving the North American Market
Headquartered in Belding, Michigan, Metra North America has a total of five facilities, including Alma (one press) and Laval (two presses, a vertical paint line, and a thermal break line) in Quebec, Canada, and Belding, MI (five presses), Kentwood, MI (machining), and Rome, GA (three presses and a vertical paint line), in the U.S. The company’s capabilities include extrusion (covering a wide variety of sizes, ranging from 7 to 14 inches), fabrication (CNC machining, precision cutting, and assembly), and finishing. This enables the business to produce high quality, value-added extrusion profiles for specific applications—from windows, framing, and curtain walls engineered to meet close-fitting tolerances (Figure 3) to meticulously fabricated and beautifully finished HVAC, solar, automotive, and railway products.
“Metra North America’s footprint and asset base has already brought value to quite a few customers,” noted Brosmer. “The geographic reach, the natural redundancy of our presses to protect our customers’ supply chain, and our ability to extrude both large and small shapes has created a trusted network for our customers.”
In order to ensure it will continue to be able to support its customers’ needs, Metra North America plans to further invest in its facilities and capabilities. Brosmer noted that the business recently brought online two extrusion presses, including a new 7 inch press at its plant in Georgia and a 14 inch press in Michigan. “In addition, we are looking at a number of other organic and inorganic investments to support our ongoing strategy,” he added.
Conclusion
As part of Metra Group’s global network of extrusion operations, Metra North America brings the same level of customer-first values, along with a passion for meticulously crafted products, innovation, and flexibility. The company aims to redefine aluminum extrusion quality for the North American market by striving to deliver on the commitments made to customers and shareholders. “Our view of the next three to five years is positive,” explained Brosmer, “and we look forward to continuing to be a meaningful employer in the communities in which we operate and a trusted partner for our customers.”
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the October 2025 issue of Light Metal Age. To receive the current issue, please subscribe.xfkps