Franchisee: Rumen Dimitrov
Metal Supermarkets | 177 Chestnut St., Warwick
The pitch: Metal Supermarkets is like a convenience store for metal, where more than 8,000 types of metal can be purchased and cut to order by staff. The company specializes in customer service, offering small-quantity metal distribution with no minimum order size, and access to grades of an assortment of metals that includes aluminum, steel, brass, bronze and copper. The franchise’s motto is: “Nobody cuts it like we do.”
Years in business: Opened on Feb. 24, 2020
Employees: Five (three full time, two part time)
Cost to obtain franchise: $39,500 initial fee; $216,500 – $403,000 initial investment; $350,000 – $500,000 net worth requirement; $150,000 – $350,000 liquid cash requirement
Before opening franchise: Dimitrov began his career as an accountant in Bulgaria after earning his master’s degree in accounting from the Dimitar A. Tsenov Academy of Economics in Svishtov, Bulgaria. He owns and operates a ground transportation service, Dimitrov Local Delivery Inc., in Warwick and East Greenwich.
Reason for opening: Dimitrov felt there was a need for a Metal Supermarkets in Rhode Island. After researching the business with a broker, he learned that there wasn’t a local store, and since the franchise offers a “great support” system, he decided it was a good fit for him.
“It’s a convenience store for metals. It’s convenience; you come in, you can touch the materials, you can measure your own things. There is no minimum order. It’s cut and delivered fast – made to order. It’s providing a needed service to people who want to buy or need metal. You can buy any metal in any shape that comes from a mill. You need it in a pinch, you can walk right out with it.”
“We take things seriously. We treat every customer the same. We want to serve every customer the best we can. Corporate will not renew a franchise if [its] customer service is bad. So, we pride ourselves on great customer service.”
“It’s a unique business. There’s a need for it. There is nothing around like it. For my other business, I was looking to buy small quantities of metal and could not find it locally. At the same time, I was looking for a franchise with a broker and found this one. Almost a year later, we opened.”
“I looked at the map for the nearest store. The nearest store is north of Boston in [Woburn, Mass.]. There is one in Albany, N.Y., and there is one in Fairfield, N.J. There was nothing in between. That’s why I opened this one.”
