Metal Supermarkets Opens 15 Stores, Hands Out Seven Franchisee Awards

Metal Supermarkets opened 15 new stores and posted record year-over-year sales in its latest fiscal year, figures the company announced at its 2026 Franchisee Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo., held Sept. 17–19. The Toronto-based metal supplier and franchise network gathered more than 147 franchisees and corporate staff from across North America for the event, according to a company news release dated Nov. 2, 2026.

Ryan Pryznyk, president and CEO of Metal Supermarkets, attributed the network's growth to record sales and the 15 store openings. The release did not disclose actual revenue figures, store counts or same-store sales — the claim of a record year rests entirely on the company's own framing. The conference agenda included head office presentations, interactive discussions and networking sessions covering business performance, operational practices and future plans.

Who won the awards?

The annual awards banquet honored franchisees in seven categories:

• Bill Mair Franchisee of the Year: Greg and Denette Gallman, owners of Metal Supermarkets Charleston, S.C., recognized for performance, customer service and operational excellence.
• Metal Man Award: Niraj Patel, owner of Metal Supermarkets Mobile, Ala., received the award for demonstrating resilience and leadership while overcoming business challenges. The release did not specify what those challenges were.
• Customer Service Award: Nicholas Berchtold, owner of Metal Supermarkets Cleveland (South), Ohio, achieved a 98 per cent Net Promoter Score and 24 per cent sales growth in fiscal 2026.
• Rookie of the Year Award: Richard Russell, owner of Metal Supermarkets Pittsburgh (Coraopolis), exceeded operational and sales benchmarks as a new franchisee.
• Safety Leadership Award: Alan and Wesley Wilkinson, owners of Metal Supermarkets Pittsburgh (Cranberry Township), were recognized for workplace safety, organization and operational discipline.
• Learning and Development Performance Award: Henry and Michelle Dow, owners of Metal Supermarkets Baltimore and York, saw sales rise 24 per cent and 45 per cent respectively at their two locations.
• Sales Growth Award: Jim Hopper, owner of Metal Supermarkets Wichita, Kan., posted the network's highest year-over-year sales growth — though the company did not publish the underlying percentage.

The hard numbers that did appear skew impressive: a 98 per cent Net Promoter Score and 45 per cent single-location sales growth are the strongest metrics in the release. The rest of the awards rest on qualitative judgments the company made about its own operators.

What does a franchise cost?

Metal Supermarkets continues to expand by awarding locations to entrepreneurs with business and customer service experience, offering both owner-operator and multi-unit arrangements. The entry price is concrete: an estimated total investment of $397,500 to $670,500 per location, with prospective franchisees required to hold $150,000 to $180,000 in liquid capital — roughly a quarter of the low-end total investment kept in cash before opening. Qualified U.S. military veterans receive a $5,000 reduction on the initial franchise fee.

The company did not disclose how many of the 15 new stores went to existing franchisees versus first-time owners, nor did it publish system-wide revenue, franchisee profitability or failure rates — the numbers a prospective buyer would need before writing a check. The awards banquet paints a growth story; the underlying economics remain visible only to those inside the network. For now, the expansion continues on the strength of record sales the company reports but does not quantify.