What Arlington Plating Company does

Arlington Plating Company (APC) is a privately held, B2B contract metal finishing and anodizing services provider founded in 1946 and headquartered in Palatine, Illinois. The company operates exclusively at the OEM and high-volume manufacturing tier, declining consumer or refurbishment work, and sells through enterprise direct sales supported by a website-based Request-a-Quote funnel. Primary verticals are automotive and motorcycle OEMs — including GM, Ford, FCA, Tesla, Harley-Davidson, Indian Motorcycle, Cadillac, and Jeep — with secondary verticals in electronics, gaming, oil and gas, consumer products, aerospace, medical, and military/ordnance.

APC's service portfolio covers decorative and functional electroplating (multi-layer nickel chrome, black chrome, satin chrome, electroless nickel via the proprietary APC-100 high-phosphorus process, Miralloy white bronze), polishing and buffing, and aluminum anodizing in both MIL-A-8625 Type II (sulfuric, automated 5,000 sq ft line with 44 process tanks handling parts up to 100 inches) and Type III (hardcoat, Class 1 and 2). The company plates on aluminum, magnesium, zinc die cast, steel and stainless, and copper alloys. Its magnesium plating process — zincate barrier, copper strike, secondary electroless nickel strike — is described as proprietary and held by only a few finishers worldwide. The wholly owned SelectConnect Technologies division extends the platform into laser direct structuring and electroless plating of 3D molded interconnects for medical, military/aerospace, automotive sensor, and RFID applications.

Revenue is generated per-part or per-batch under custom quote-based pricing tied to substrate, plating type, volume, and specifications, typically structured as multi-year enterprise contracts. APC's qualification stack (ISO 9001:2015 with zero infractions, GM GMW14665/GMW14672, FCA PS-50019/PS-9405, MIL-C-26074E, MIL-A-8625, AMS 2404, ASTM B733/B580, and the DecoKlad license — only the second in the US and one of five worldwide) is the central commercial asset. In 2020 APC was combined with Midwestern Rust Proof and Enameled Steel, forming a metal finishing group of over 200,000 square feet across four Illinois facilities and broadening the service menu into zinc phosphate, black oxide, e-coating, powder coating, and wet spray painting.

Name

Arlington Plating Company

Legal name

Arlington Plating Company

Website

https://arlingtonplating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Arlington Plating Company is a privately held B2B contract metal finisher founded in 1946 in Palatine, Illinois, providing decorative and functional plating, electroless nickel, and aluminum anodizing exclusively to OEM customers in the automotive, motorcycle, electronics, and aerospace sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Palatine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Metal Plating Services: Contract metal plating and anodizing services for OEMs and manufacturers. Revenue generated through per-part or per-batch pricing for decorative and functional nickel chrome plating, electroless nickel, black chrome, satin chrome, white bronze plating, and aluminum anodizing. Services include supply chain management, incoming inspection, in-process inspection, cosmetic inspection, functional testing, and light assembly.
2. Polishing and Buffing Services: Metal polishing and buffing department that has been a mainstay for over 60 years, including copper buffing approach for 'Show Chrome' finish production
3. SelectConnect Technologies: Division providing laser direct structuring and electroless plating services for 3D molded interconnects targeting medical and military markets

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Arlington Plating Company is a contract metal finishing and anodizing service provider that applies decorative and functional coatings (nickel chrome, electroless nickel, black chrome, satin chrome, white bronze, and aluminum anodizing) to OEM components manufactured from aluminum, magnesium, zinc die cast, steel, stainless steel, and copper alloys. The company operates a 5,000 sq ft fully automated anodizing line with 44 process tanks and an in-house 24/7 quality laboratory, serving automotive, motorcycle, electronics, gaming, oil & gas, aerospace, medical, military, and consumer products manufacturers.

Product overview

Arlington Plating Company provides a comprehensive portfolio of surface finishing and metal plating services organized around two main categories: electroplating/coatings and anodizing. Core electroplating services include multi-layer Nickel Chrome Plating (available in bright, satin, and black finishes), Electroless Nickel Plating (using proprietary APC-100 technology), Miralloy White Bronze Plating (tri-metal alloy), and Polishing/Buffing. The company also operates SelectConnect Technologies, a division providing laser direct structuring (LDS) and electroless plating for 3D molded interconnects. Anodizing services include Sulfuric (Type II) and Hardcoat (Type III) aluminum anodizing via a 5,000 ft² automated line with 44 process tanks. Supporting capabilities include chemical analysis and material reliability testing laboratories. Services target diverse substrates including aluminum, magnesium, zinc die castings, steel, stainless steel, and copper alloys. The company primarily serves automotive, motorcycle, electronics, gaming, consumer products, oil & gas, aerospace, medical, and military/ordnance industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SelectConnect Technologies: A division of Arlington Plating Company offering laser direct structuring (LDS) and electroless plating of double shot molded plastic components for medical and military/electronics markets.

Products and services

• Nickel Chrome Plating Multi-layer decorative nickel chrome electroplating providing corrosion protection and bright mirror finish, including copper strike, nickel strike, semi-bright nickel, high sulfur nickel, bright nickel, micro-porous nickel, and chromium topcoat layers, for OEM components across automotive, motorcycle, and consumer products.
• Black Chrome Plating Hard, corrosion and wear-resistant black finish electroplated over bright or satin nickel, producing lustrous, semi-lustrous, or matte black appearance for automotive dusk chrome and other decorative applications.
• Satin Chrome Plating Satin nickel combined with chrome finish producing a light gray to frosty dark gray appearance, using hydrocarbon emulsions to impart pitting in the nickel deposit without abrasive polishing.
• Electroless Nickel Plating (APC-100) Auto-catalytic plating depositing 90% nickel / 10% phosphorus alloy without electricity, providing uniform coating thickness and high hardness (48 Rockwell C, up to 70 Rockwell C when baked) for OEM components requiring outstanding corrosion and wear resistance.
• Miralloy White Bronze Plating Tri-metal alloy of copper (55%), tin (30%), and zinc (15%) providing a white appearance with good electrical characteristics, used as a nickel-free alternative to bright nickel, silver, or rhodium for RF connectors and electronic applications.
• Polishing and Buffing Metal surface preparation using abrasives from 80-grit to 1000-grit and buff compounds, including a copper-buffing approach that deposits a 0.002-3 inch copper layer before final buffing for mirror 'Show Chrome' finishes.
• SelectConnect Technologies Division offering laser direct structuring (LDS) and electroless plating of double-shot molded plastic components for 3D molded interconnect fabrication, creating metallic circuits on thermoplastic components for antennas, automotive sensors, medical devices, military/aerospace, RFID, and security applications.
• Sulfuric Aluminum Anodizing (Type II) Fully automated MIL-A-8625 Type II sulfuric anodizing on a 5,000 sq ft line with 44 process tanks, processing parts up to 100 inches in length with high pH sealants, organic die coloring, electro color, bright dip, lacquer/post-dip, and satin finishing capabilities, meeting automotive pH 13.0 requirements.
• Hardcoat Aluminum Anodizing (Type III) MIL-A-8625 Type III, Class 1 and 2 hardcoat anodizing producing surface hardness equivalent to 60-70 Rockwell C with thickness ranges of 0.0001 to 0.0030 inches, used for aerospace, firearms, machinery, electronics, oil & gas, ordnance, cookware, molds/dies, and sporting goods requiring corrosion, wear, and abrasion resistance.
• Plating on Aluminum Electroplating on aluminum castings, extrusions, forgings, and machined billet using zincate process (single or double zincate for difficult alloys) with optional copper buff step for optimal adhesion, applied to automotive fuel doors, emblems, grilles, motorcycle valve covers, wheels, and mirrors.
• Plating on Magnesium Electroplating on magnesium castings and thixomolded components using a specialized dual-strike method (zincate barrier, copper strike, secondary electroless nickel strike) developed by Arlington Plating, applied to automotive paddle shifters, brake/pedal brackets, steering column housings, and electronics heat sinks.
• Plating on Zinc Die Casting Electroplating on zinc die castings using cyanide copper flash, acid copper plate, nickel layers, and chromium, including copper buff step for best finish, applied to automotive headlight casings, hood ornaments, window trim, interior door handles, and instrument bezels.
• Plating on Steel and Stainless Electroplating on steel using alkaline cleaners, muriatic acid deoxidizing, and copper or watts nickel strike, with semi-bright nickel, high sulfur nickel, bright nickel, micro-porous nickel, and chromium layers for decorative applications; electroless nickel for corrosion protection and wear resistance on ball valves, gate valves, heat exchangers, and pumps.
• Plating on Copper Alloys Chrome plating and electroplating on copper, brass, and bronze, including musical instruments, ornaments, ice machine evaporators, cloisonne, and electronic components, with final finishes of semi-bright nickel, bright nickel, micro-porous nickel, and chromium for decorative applications.
• Chemical Analysis Laboratory Services Wet chemical analysis laboratory providing continuous maintenance and monitoring of electroplating solutions using titrations, hull cell testing, pH analysis, HPLC, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, UV/Vis Spectroscopy, and Total Organic Carbon Analysis, generating CpK, Cp, PpK, and Pp statistical data.
• Material Reliability Testing Laboratory Thickness, hardness, and composition testing of electroplated and anodized products, including STEP analysis, SIGMASCOPE multilayer thickness testing, coulometric testing, X-Ray Fluorescence analysis, and eddy current methodology, performed per ASTM and ISO standards including ASTM B456-11, ASTM B733-04, and ASTM B571-97.

Quantifiable outcome

• GM approval received within 3 months of automated anodizing line installation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Midwestern Rust Proof and Enameled SteelflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Strategic partnership brings Arlington Plating into a strong family of companies in the metal finishing industry with over 200,000 square feet of combined metal finishing production space. The group now operates 4 facilities in Rockford, Chicago, and Palatine, Illinois, offering expanded services including zinc phosphate, black oxide, zinc electroplating, manganese phosphate, e-coating, wet spray painting, powder coating, and silk screen/pad printing.
• MacDermid EnthonecoreTechnology or Integration · 8 February 2019APC received DecoKlad nickel chrome license from MacDermid Enthone. Currently, APC is just the second DecoKlad applicator in the United States and one of five worldwide. DecoKlad chemistry combined with APC's fully automated systems ensures process repeatability, traceability, and accountability for global OEM requirements.
• Leading Chemical SupplierscoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing alliances with leading chemical suppliers to develop best practices and control processes. Arlington Plating works closely with these suppliers and metal finishing industrial associations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/apccrni
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/APCCHROME
• Facebookfacebook.com/apcchrome
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/317550

Compliance18 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arlington Plating Company