Rick Carey, The Metal Ware Corporation

The August 14 edition of HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® revealed the 12th annual “Players,” people to watch in housewares during the next 12 months.

Selected by HomeWorld Business editors, the Players represent a cross section of a diverse housewares business— from established to newly installed company leaders; from large to small operations, from big-box to specialty retailers; from trade show managers to celebrity endorsers.

The HomeWorld Players are in the spotlight not only for how they might impact their respective organizations in the coming months, but also for how they might impact the overall housewares business.

Rick Carey, The Metal Ware Corporation, President

PLAYER’S CREDENTIALS: When Rick Carey acquired Metal Ware, along with his partner Ross Niemi— who serves as the company’s executive vice president and COO— he did so with strong knowledge of the company, its product selection and the retailers it sells. From 2005 through 2010, Carey served as general counsel with Metal Ware. Most recently, he was president of Chard International, a company focused on outdoor cooking, housewares and private label product development.

WHAT TO WATCH: With new blood in a company that is approaching its centennial, the possibility exists that Metal Ware could give its appliance assortment a boost along with the possibility of expanding its manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. Based in Two Rivers, WI, the company currently operates a 165,000 square foot manufacturing facility that includes a state-of-the-art injection facility and deep draw facility.

Carey previously told HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® that while Chard products are manufactured in Asia, Metal Ware’s domestic manufacturing capabilities were “intriguing” and that the ability to make products in the U.S. gives the combined companies the opportunity to meet just-in-time inventory demands from retailers.

“It is still less expensive to manufacture products in China,” he said. “But we also have to be able to react to demand from U.S. retailers.”

In addition, the marriage between the product assortments of Metal Ware and Chard could open both brands to retailers that each currently does not sell. Chard’s assortment includes meat grinders, meat tenderizers, slicers, deep fryers and smokers while Metal Ware under the Nesco brand carries a host of appliances including roaster ovens, dehydrators, jerky spices/kits and small electrics.

This broad assortment gives the company opportunities to sell a wider range of retailers from big box chains to home specialty stores, leading e-commerce outlets and sporting goods chains.

PERSPECTIVE: Carey noted the possibilities of having a broad product assortment and what it could mean for future selling opportunities. “This gives us the ability to work with each of our retail customers and develop a product assortment that fits their specific needs, be that branded products or the development of a private label line,” he said.

2018 HomeWorld Business Players (click on name for profile):