Platers are optimistic for the future...

The biennial Products Finishing survey of large plating job shops is complete. Many of the players are still the same. The numbers have changed only slightly. But instead of simply asking the job shops to list their accomplishments and services, they were asked how they felt about their future in finishing.

Each person answering the survey was positive about his/her company's future. Many planned to extend their line of finishing services, add onto their facility or break into new markets.

Metal Surfaces in Bell Gardens, California, is adding a continuous plating machine for palladium-nickel plating and adding 25,000 sq ft to its facility.

H.M. Quackenbush in Herkimer, New York, is adding an automated zinc barrel plating line. It is also expanding its barrel cadmium plating line and trying to acquire or merge with other job shops.

The platers were also asked what they see as their biggest hindrance to growth and/or prosperity. One reply was to be expected...government. The other impedance cited was lack of qualified workers, both technical and blue collar. When asked about this, Dennis Chiovarie, plant manager at Arlington Plating, stated that he has had two positions open for ten months. Workers can be taught the plating processes, but what Mr. Chiovarie finds is that he has a problem finding people who can work with other people.

Other obstacles to growth include the slow down in the automotive industry, as noted by Ajax Metal Processing in Detroit. Its neighbor, Reilly Plating, in Melvindale, Michigan, echoed Ajax's statement. Paramount Metal Finishing in Linden, New Jersey, noted that the market is shrinking in New York and New Jersey as well.

In spite of these observations, the platers were still optimistic for the future. To see how they are doing, note the survey results.

Ajax Metal Processing
Detroit, Michigan
313-267-2100/fax: 313-267-2110
Contact: Frank Buono, executive v.p.
Number of Employees: 160
Facilities: 4
Sq Ft of Facilities: 200,000
Sales Volume: $15 to 25 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Cadmium, Chromate, Copper, Zinc, Zinc Alloy
Manual: Zinc Alloy
Other Processes: Phosphating and heat
treating
Organic Finishing: Dip/spin

Anacote Corporation
Long Island City, New York
718-361-1740/fax: 718-392-1842
Contact: David Kraft
Number of Employees: 50
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 20,000
Other Processes: Hard anodizing; bulk anodizing; etching; chromate; bright dip; numerous Dow processes

API Industries
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
847-437-7474/fax: 847-437-7493
Contact: Robert A. Giesel
Number of Employees: 140
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 106,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromate, Zinc
Manual: Chromate, Copper (strip)
Other Processes: Abrasive blasting and phosphating
Organic Finishing: Electrocoating

Areway, Inc.
Brooklyn, Ohio
216-651-9022/fax: 216-634-2515
Contact: Gregory S. Hadgis, president
Number of Employees: 300
Facilities: 4
Sq Ft of Facilities: 250,000
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromium, Copper, Nickel
Manual: (none)
Other Processes: Buffing/polishing (100 lines)
Organic Finishing: Powder coating

Arlington Plating Company
Palatine, Illinois
847-359-1490/fax: 847-359-1499
Contact: Peter Brunk
Number of Employees: 175
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 60,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: (none)
Manual: Brass, Cadmium, Chromate, Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Silver, Tin, Zinc, Electroless Ni
Other Processes: Buffing and polishing
Organic Finishing: Powder coating; electrocoating; electrostatic spray

Automation Plating Company
Glendale, California
213-245-4951/fax: 818-246-1774
Contact: Bill Wiggins, president
Number of Employees: 80
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 75,000
Sales Volume: $5 to 10 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Zinc
Manual: Cadmium

Capsco, Inc.
Greenville, South Carolina
864-235-8000/fax: 864-271-0746
Contact: Frank Hawkins
Number of Employees: 135
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 86,000
Sales Volume: $5 to 10 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Zinc
Manual: Zinc
Other Processes: Black oxiding; zinc-cobalt, zinc-nickel
Organic Finishing: Electrocoating

Crown City Plating Co.
El Monte, California
818-444-9291
Contact: Brooke Fix
Number of Employees: 350+
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 295,000
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Brass, Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Electroless Ni, Electroless Cu
Manual: Brass, Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Tin/Lead, Electroless Ni, Electroless Cu
Other Processes: Buffing/polishing (23 automatic machines), tumbling, vibratory finishing.
Plastics Plated: Nylon, ABS and alloys, PET and PBT, poly thalomide
Organic Finishing: Air-assisted airless spray, airless spray, powder coating, electrocoating, electrostatic spray, HVLP

East Side Plating, Inc.
Portland, Oregon
503-654-3774/fax: 503-654-6464
Contact: Jimmy L. Thibodeau, president
Number of Employees: 220
Facilities: 5
Sq Ft of Facilities: 135,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Brass, Chromium, Nickel, Zinc
Manual: Brass, Cadmium, Chromate, Chromium, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Rhodium, Silver, Tin, Zinc, Electroless Ni, Satin Ni, Black Chrome, Abaloy, Teflon EN, Black Ni, Sulfamate Ni
Other Processes: Passivation; electropolishing; degreasing; abrasive blasting; buffing/polishing; tumbling; vibratory finishing; phosphating; laser marking; and electro-etching.
Organic Finishing: Powder coating

General Metal Finishing
Attleboro, Massachusetts
508-226-5606/fax: 508-226-5626
Contact: Robert Palos, president
Number of Employees: 118
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 45,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: (none)
Manual: Copper, Gold, Nickel, Rhodium, Silver, Tin, Tin/Lead, Electroless Ni
Other Processes: Pickling and etching

Guardian Automotive Trim
(formerly Windsor Plastics)
Evansville, Indiana
812-473-6211/fax: 812-473-6359
Contact: Larry Teppen
Number of Employees: 550
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 400,000
Sales Volume: More than $25 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromate
Manual: (none)
Other Processes: Etching
Plastics Plated: ABS and PC/ABS
Organic Finishing: HVLP

H.M. Quackenbush, Inc.
(125 years old)
Herkimer, New York
315-866-3000/fax: 315-866-2836
Contact: Frederick H. Hager, CEO
Number of Employees: 107
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 57,000
Sales Volume: $5 to 10 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Nickel
Manual: Brass, Cadmium, Chromate, Chromium, Copper, Gold, Silver, Tin, Tin/Lead, Zinc, Electroless Ni
Other Processes: Anodizing; abrasive blasting; buffing/polishing; vibratory finishing; black oxiding; pickling; phosphating; passivating; Iridite.

Lacks Industries
Grand Rapids, Michigan
616-868-0936/fax: 616-285-2367
Contact: Roger Timmer
Number of Employees: 220 plating/1,600 total
Facilities: 3 plating/12 total
Sq Ft of Facilities: 200,000
Sales Volume: More than $25 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Electroless Cu
Manual: Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Electroless Ni, Electroless Cu
Plastics Plated: ABS and ABS-PC alloys
Organic Finishing: Electrostatic spray, HVLP

Lancaster Electro Plating
Lancaster, Ohio
614-653-5025/fax: 614-654-5587
Contact: Donald E. Cordle, general manager
Number of Employees: 185
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 122,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromate, Zinc, Electroless Ni, Zinc-Iron, Zinc-Cobalt
Manual: Chromium, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Silver, Tin, Tin/Lead
Other Processes: Anodizing; abrasive blasting, buffing/polishing; vibratory finishing; black oxiding; pickling; etching; and phosphating
Organic Finishing: Electrocoating

Lincoln Plating Co.
Lincoln, Nebraska
402-475-3671/fax: 402-475-9565
Contact: Marc LeBaron, president
Number of Employees: 280
Facilities: 3
Sq Ft of Facilities: 220,000
Sales Volume: $15 to 25 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Cadmium, Nickel, Tin, Tin/Lead, Zinc
Manual: Chromate, Chromium, Copper, Gold, Silver, Electroless Ni
Other Processes: Anodizing; abrasive blasting; buffing/polishing; vibratory finishing; black oxiding; pickling; etching; and phosphating
Organic Finishing: Air-assisted airless spray; airless spray; powder coating; electrostatic spray; and HVLP

Marlette National Corp.
Buffalo, New York
716-874-1790/fax: 716-876-1297
Contact: Michael J. Marlette
Number of Employees: 80
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 200,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Zinc, Electroless Ni
Manual: Cadmium, Chromate, Gold, Nickel, Silver, Tin, Tin/Lead, Zinc, Electroless Ni
Other Processes: Abrasive blasting; buffing/polishing; tumbling; vibratory finishing; pickling; and phosphating.

Metal Surfaces
Bell Gardens, California
310-927-1331/ fax: 310-927-0692
Contact: Jerry Margolin
Number of Employees: 200
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 76,000
Sales Volume: $15 to 25 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromium
Manual: Cadmium, Chromate, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Rhodium, Silver, Tin, Tin/Lead, Electroless Ni, Electroless Cu
Other Processes: Pickling and etching
Plastics Plated: All

Paramount Metal Finishing Co.
Linden, New Jersey
908-862-0772/fax: 908-862-9477
Contact: Michael Fuschetti
Number of Employees: 90
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 75,000
Sales Volume: $5 to 10 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromate, Copper, Nickel, Tin, Zinc, Electroless Ni
Manual: Silver, Tin/Lead
Other Processes: Tumbling; vibratory finishing; etching; and phosphating
Organic Finishing: Air-assisted airless spray; airless spray; powder coating; electrostatic spray; HVLP; robotics (wet and powder)

Plastic Platers
Cleveland, Ohio
216-961-1200
Contact: Kevin Durkin
Number of Employees: 135
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 158,000
Sales Volume: $15 to 25 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Electroless Cu
Manual: (none)
Other Processes: Buffing/polishing
Plastics Plated: yes

Reilly Plating Co.
Melvindale, Michigan
313-928-6800/fax: 313-386-2270
Contact: Kent DesJardins, president
Number of Employees: 145
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 88,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Zinc, Zinc Alloys
Manual: Chromate, Zinc Alloys
Other Processes: Pickling; phosphating;
mechanical plating; and thread locking/sealing
Organic Finishing: Dip/spin

Superior Plating, Inc.
77 years in business
Minneapolis, Minnesota
612-379-2121/fax: 612-379-8933
Contact: Michael McMonagle, president
Number of Employees: 150
Facilities: 2
Sq Ft of Facilities: 130,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Zinc
Manual: Brass, Cadmium, Chromate, Chromium, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Rhodium, Silver, Tin, Tin/Lead, Zinc, Electroless Ni
Other Processes: Abrasive blasting; buffing/polishing; black oxiding; pickling; phosphating

U.S. Chrome Corporation
Stratford, Connecticut
203-378-9622/fax: 203-386-0067
Contact: Al Kertesz
Number of Employees: 200
Facilities: 7
Sq Ft of Facilities: varies
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: (none)
Manual: Chromium, Electroless Ni
Other Processes: Composite plating

Victory Finishing Technologies
Providence, Rhode Island
401-421-0808
Contact: Ed Marandola, CEO
Number of Employees: 210
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 125,000
Sales Volume: $10 to 15 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Brass, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Tin/Lead
Manual: Brass, Copper, Gold, Nickel, Rhodium, Silver, Tin
Other Processes: Buffing and polishing; tumbling; vibratory finishing
Organic Finishing: Powder coating; electrocoating; electrostatic spray

Whyco Chromium Co., Inc.
Thomaston, Connecticut
860-283-5826/fax: 860-283-6153
Contact: Rob Hyner, vice president
Number of Employees: 210
Facilities: 1
Sq Ft of Facilities: 120,000
Sales Volume: $15 to 25 million
Plating Processes:
Automatic: Chromium
Manual: Chromate, Copper, Nickel, Zinc, Electroless Ni
Organic Finishing: Electrocoating