At The Net w/ Mike Levy, National Metal Industries

Ever since he can remember, Mike Levy has been a part of the family business.

When he was two-years-old, he started hanging around the hardware store his dad founded in East New York back in 1950, a store that would ultimately become National Metal Industries (NMI).

“I was always there when I was younger but really began working there around 13 or 14,” Levy recalls. “I got into working full-time when I was 18 and I’ve been here ever since.

NMI began its journey by offering a complete line of commercial hardware and fence supplies, and expanded its business in 1980 and moved out to Oceanside where it operates from today. NMI is still a family-owned business with no outside partners or stockholders, and for four generations it has taken pride in the fact that its products are all American made.

“Great products, great service and fair pricing is the foundation of our business and is directly responsible for our success,” is NMI’s tagline.

Levy takes a great deal of pride in the fact the business has always stayed in the family. Officially, his title is the Vice President of Sales, but at a family-run business, Levy is a part of all aspects of his company’s tasks.

“I basically wear all hats; whether it’s sales, purchasing, or just the day-to-day processes. I’m basically a CEO-type,” explains Levy. “I get my hands into everything, and oversee the day-to-day happenings here. My mom still owns the company, and we continue the mission that my father had when he founded it all those years ago.”

NMI provides fencing supplies and more all across the country, ranging from commercial to residential properties, creating customized options depending on the needs of the client. This includes any supplies needed for the creation and renovations of tennis and other racquet sport courts.

“As a supplier, we never know exactly what our products are going towards, but we know that they are oftentimes being used for the purposes of tennis courts,” said Levy. “We create a hedge that can go inside of chain link fences so that the whole fence looks like a hedge, which are used on a lot of tennis courts, as well as windscreens. We can do custom windscreens for your school or country club.”

And Levy says the key thing that sets them apart from the competition and larger companies is the personalized service, and unmatched customer support they are able to offer as opposed to big corporations.

“We can move faster than those major companies because their lead times are usually further out, and there are other moving parts that they have to go through,” said Levy. “We have a flexible pricing structure we are able to work through that allows us to work directly with customers to ensure their satisfaction and a job done on time.”

Levy’s tennis connection goes beyond his company supplying materials for courts. Growing up, he always enjoyed playing tennis, taking lessons at Point Set Tennis in Oceanside as well as Hofstra Day Camps.

And while he loved playing tennis, he admits he wasn’t the best athlete, something that can’t be said about his daughter, who is an avid tennis player. This past fall, she competed on the Oceanside junior varsity team and has been playing tennis all of her life.

“Even though she is on JV, when she plays against players on the varsity team, she can hold her own. I’m watching her grow as a player and person, and she loves tennis, which makes me very proud,” says Levy. “Just like any sport, young players move at their own pace, and they get stronger at certain points, so it’s been cool to watch that process.”

She takes lessons at Point Set just like her dad all those years ago.

“She loves competing, and it’s just a great sport for her.”

That family connection is an important one for Levy, and it carries its way from the tennis court into the business world, which is something that Levy does not take for granted.

It’s that authenticity and commitment that makes NMI stand out amongst the rest, and why it has remained a stalwart in its industry for nearly a century.

Levy says:

“We have products for all types of properties; whether it’s a home or a country club, we can customize solutions for any customer needs, and can outfit any property.”

While we are in the midst of the indoor tennis season here on Long Island, the spring and warm weather is not too far away on the horizon, which means it’s almost time to prepare those outdoor courts. Levy and his team are happy to discuss all the options they have available to get your outdoor tennis season started the right way.

Visit NMIFence.com, e-mail mike@nmifence.com or call (516) 594-0365 to learn more about what the Long Island-based, family-owned business has to offer.