Continental Gin snags another tenant with Metal Supermarkets retail outlet

Metal Supermarkets — a chain that has more than 90 locations in North America and bills itself as a convenience store for metal materials — opened a store in the Continental Gin Industrial Park at 4550 Fifth Ave. S. in late August.

Birmingham, given its rich history of iron and steel production, is “the perfect fit” for the chain, said franchise owner and Birmingham native Patrick Limbaugh, who said his store carries about 8,000 metal products.

“There are not many places where you can get any metal cut to size really fast like you can at Metals Supermarkets,” Limbaugh told Iron City Ink.

The store exclusively carries metals — aluminum, brass, bronze, copper and several types of steel — and makes precision cuts, shears or punches to customer specifications.

There is no minimum order quantity at the store, meaning the store can cater not just to contractors and construction companies, but to hobbyists and homeowners as well, Limbaugh said.

Metal Supermarkets closed its old Fairfield location in April, Limbaugh said. The new store is about 10,000 square feet.

“We can stock any item that anybody is looking for,” Limbaugh said. Limbaugh formerly worked in a sales and marketing for Nucor, a steel products manufacturer. He also grew up in nearby Woodlawn and appreciates the legacy of the 28-acre Continental Gin facility, which was recently renovated and houses a growing number of companies, including Ram Tool, Cahaba Brewing Co. and Redmont Distilling.

He calls it “a storied facility” and “an amazing place” with great tenants.

“We want to be part of that,” Limbaugh said.

He is also excited about the uptick in business activity in Avondale and the city in general.

“There is truly a revitalization going on in Birmingham,” he said. “We want to be in the heartbeat of that.”

Avondale is a good location for the store logistically, Limbaugh said.

“We have a brand-new flatbed where we can deliver up to 24 feet of product anywhere in the state,” he said. “Being here in the center of things is a great place for that.”