Metflex started life as The Metropolitan Leather Company, manufacturing Leather Diaphragms for Gas Meters. Originally based in the East End of London, In September 1940, the company saw its London Base destroyed in a bombing raid. Plant, machinery and stocks were hurriedly salvaged and removed to the North West together with 25 families from the South East of London. Work restarted on January 1st 1941 at the company's current site.

By the sixties, and following extensive research into alternative materials, the company changed its name to Metropolitan Flexible Products (Metflex) and moved into polymer diaphragm and precision moulding production.

Thorn EMI took control in 1971, and Schlumberger in 1989. During that period British Gas decided to use only synthetic diaphragms and Metflex was able to take the advantage having invested so heavily in new materials. More than ten million diaphragms are now produced each year.

Diversification has continued with sales of Precision Moulded Rubber components and diaphragms being established in the Hi-Fi, automotive, aerospace and leisure sectors.

With a rolling programme of investment into Research and Development, the process of design and the production of new materials and methods is swift.

In 2003 Metflex became a private, independently owned business. The trading name Metflex remains, and 2005, sees Metflex passing the 75 year milestone of diaphragm manufacture.