Company History

Meltog was established in 1950 by two engineers named Melton and Ogley. The business was originally a precision engineering company which specialised in manufacturing components and supplying bespoke machinery to the surrounding and thriving textile industry. Originally based in Drighlington, which is located at the southern border of Leeds and Bradford, it remained at that site until the early 1990's by which time it had significantly diversified its product range. By the late 1960's the textile industry was in decline and Meltog had already moved into manufacturing decorative packaging (fancy can) manufacturing equipment and filter tube equipment. Huge demand for its products across the world throughout the 1970's, 80's and early 1990's saw the company grow to employ over 100 people. During this period Meltog also made a number of new product acquisitions, notably including paper converting machinery, as well as enduring a number of changes of ownership as the original management team retired.

The early 1990's saw Meltog relocate from Drighlington to a state of the art facility in Birstall on the outskirts of Leeds. This prestigious move coincided with the company winning the Queen's Award for Export Achievement and a live televised edition of the local news programme being broadcast from company's HQ. Meltog, then as part of the engineering interests of a large plc, continued to develop its product range during the world wide recession of the early 1990's. During this period it introduced its hugely successful spiral tube forming machine, although a number of key products like the paper converting machinery had to be divested along the way.

The late 1990's saw another period of growth for the company and a returning of the business to private hands. Most notably at the time of the management buyout Milldale Engineering Limited of Huddersfield was merged into Meltog, bringing a new product and engineering expertise in the environmental and recycling market into the company. A further subsequent deal was made with Linpac for its Billoway, twist off cap machinery business. These acquisitions together with Meltog's traditional decorative can making machinery and filter tube machinery form the basis of the company's product ranges as we know them today.

At the turn of the new millennium the company was exporting over 70% of its turnover and therefore the unforeseen and tragic events of 11 September 2001 inevitably took its toll on the company's order book. The fallout from this event was further exacerbated by the subsequent weakening of the dollar which culminated in an unsustainable situation for a large export biased business and its complex structure.

To counter these events, in March 2004 the Technical Director lead a buyout from the larger company, which brought Meltog a much needed new structure and a new lease of life. A new company was formed, MMCo Limited (The Metal Machinery Company Limited), and it purchased all intellectual property, including the name Meltog, together with its products, patents and trademarks from the old business. To ensure its intellectual assets were backed up by experience, MMCo also employed key personnel from the old business.

The new company immediately applied new direction, a new energy and renewed focus, whilst placing a great emphasis on the core values of customer service and the delivery of quality, well engineered products. Although for the first time in its 60 + year history, there was a completely new company in place, MMCo took the decision to trade and market its products using the recognised and respected name of Meltog. Indeed the success of this new formula has been demonstrated by the successful rebuilding of key North American markets for both filtration and can making equipment despite the continuation of the weak dollar through the present decade.

However, the renaissance in Meltog's export sales has not been to the detriment of the company's other key market sector of waste management and recycling machinery. Indeed Meltog embarked on an intensive development of its core product, industrial shredders, bringing a number of new machines in to its range as well as a number of enhanced features. Today, the company is able to supply equipment for the majority of recycling applications ranging from the core shredder module up to complete, integrated turnkey systems.

These strategic advances for the business have been underpinned by a significant investment in its engineering technology. Meltog now exclusively uses 3D design software which vastly improves both conceptualisation and quality. Moreover, it provides a level of detail and information on complex machine assemblies which assists not only in the design and build phases but also from the client's perspective with regard to operation and maintenance. To assist in the procurement, manufacture and tracking of complex arrays of parts across multiple projects, the company uses a customised MRPII system which is linked from sales through design, production and stock to despatch.

Meltog is now based in a modern facility in Leeds, UK, approximately 1 mile from the city centre and just a few more miles from the local international airport – Leeds /Bradford. It is also served by the close proximity of major east /west and north /south motorway networks.