Able Electropolishing
Able Electropolishing, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Chicago, is a privately held specialty industrial service company operating the world's largest dedicated electropolishing facility, serving 1,200+ aerospace, medical device, and industrial customers with precision electrochemical metal finishing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Able Electropolishing does
Able Electropolishing Co., Inc. is a privately held US specialty industrial service company founded in 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, that operates the world's largest dedicated electropolishing operation from a single 50,000-square-foot facility running 24 hours per day, 5 days per week with approximately 150 employees and 13 robotic systems. The company's core technology is electropolishing — an electrochemical reverse-plating process that uses direct current and proprietary in-house electrolyte formulations to remove a precisely controlled layer of surface material (typically 0.0005 to 0.001 inches, with tolerance down to ±0.0002 inches) from metal parts, eliminating burrs, microcracks, and embedded contaminants while improving surface roughness by up to 50% and delivering up to 30 times the corrosion resistance of passivation alone.
The service portfolio spans electropolishing across 20+ alloys (stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, Hastelloy, MP35N, aluminum, copper, and specialty metals), passivation (nitric and citric acid), vacuum vapor degreasing, bulk electropolishing for fasteners, in-house testing and analysis, custom racking, and a Turnkey Sourcing Service that coordinates a network of contract manufacturers, machine shops, and finishers. The company holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, AS9100:2016, and ITAR registration, qualifying it as a supplier into medical device, aerospace, and defense supply chains.
Commercially, Able operates a sales-led enterprise go-to-market model: customers request quotes online, schedule part reviews via Microsoft Teams, or contact the sales engineering team directly. Standard delivery is 3-5 working days with paid same-day and next-day expedites, and a free sample-processing offer (with free return shipping) serves as the primary lead-conversion mechanism. The customer base of 1,200+ spans aerospace and defense (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, SpaceX, NASA), medical devices (Applied Medical, Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, Cook Biotech), industrial manufacturing (Siemens, John Crane, 3M, Xylem), and fasteners (Birmingham Fastener). The company has remained founder/family-controlled since inception with Brian Glass serving as CEO/President and no external private equity or venture capital ownership identified.
Able Electropolishing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Able Electropolishing
- Legal name
- Able Electropolishing Co., Inc.
- Website
- https://ableelectropolishing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Able Electropolishing, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Chicago, is a privately held specialty industrial service company operating the world's largest dedicated electropolishing facility, serving 1,200+ aerospace, medical device, and industrial customers with precision electrochemical metal finishing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Able Electropolishing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Metal Finishing Services
- NAICS
- Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281)
- SIC
- Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electroplating & Metal Finishing (Anodizing/Galvanizing/Passivation) (IMAIAKAE)
Keywords
Where Able Electropolishing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Able Electropolishing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Electropolishing Services: Precision electropolishing of metal parts for various alloys including stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, and specialty metals. Pricing based on part complexity, material, and processing requirements.
- Passivation Services: Nitric and citric acid passivation services for stainless steel components to remove free iron and improve corrosion resistance
- Vacuum Vapor Degreasing: Industrial cleaning service for metal parts using vacuum vapor degreasing technology
- Bulk Electropolishing for Fasteners: High-volume electropolishing services designed for fasteners and small wire forms
- Turnkey Sourcing Service: Management of contract manufacturers, machine shops, and finishers through trusted supplier network
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Electropolishing Services |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Passivation Services |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Sample Offer |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Able Electropolishing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Able Electropolishing provides precision electrochemical metal finishing services, primarily electropolishing, for stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, and specialty alloy parts. The company removes a uniform microscopic surface layer to eliminate burrs, microcracks, and embedded contaminants, improving corrosion resistance, microfinish, and fatigue life. Complementary services include nitric and citric passivation, vacuum vapor degreasing, in-house testing, bulk electropolishing for fasteners, and a turnkey sourcing service managing a network of contract finishers.
Product overview
Able Electropolishing is the world's largest electropolishing specialist, offering a comprehensive suite of metal surface finishing services. The core offering is electropolishing—a reverse-plating electrochemical process that removes microscopic layers of surface material to eliminate defects, improve corrosion resistance, and enhance part performance. This core service is supported by complementary processes including passivation (nitric and citric acid treatments), vacuum vapor degreasing, in-house testing and analysis, and custom racking solutions. The company also provides specialized services such as bulk electropolishing for fasteners and turnkey sourcing through a trusted supplier network. Value-added offerings include the 'Finish First' R&D methodology for design optimization and robotic automation for production consistency. The portfolio covers processing for over 20 different metal alloys including stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, aluminum, copper, and specialty alloys, serving critical applications in medical devices, aerospace, pharmaceutical, food processing, and semiconductor industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electropolishing Electrochemical reverse-plating metal finishing service that removes a uniform microscopic layer of surface material to eliminate burrs, microcracks, and embedded contaminants while improving corrosion resistance and microfinish. Used by aerospace, medical device, semiconductor, and industrial manufacturers.
- Passivation Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50% Ra (surface roughness) improvement through electropolishing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Able Electropolishing
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Able Electropolishing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Able Electropolishing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Fanuc AmericaminorRobot manufacturer supplying industrial automation equipment (Fanuc robots including 'Bumblebee' model) for electropolishing process automation. Purchased for operational efficiency and consistency improvements.
- Trusted Supplier NetworkcoreNetwork of contract manufacturers, machine shops, and metal finishers that Able manages on behalf of customers through its Turnkey Sourcing Service. Enables single-invoice, single-contact sourcing for additional metal treatments beyond electropolishing.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Able Electropolishing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anoplate Corporation: One of the largest independent metal finishers in North America, offering electropolishing, passivation, anodizing, and other surface treatments to aerospace, medical, and industrial customers — direct overlap with Able's service mix and customer verticals.
- Electro-Chemical Systems (ECS): Niche electropolishing service provider serving medical device, aerospace, and industrial customers with similar electrochemical finishing capabilities and ASTM/ISO-compliant processing.
- Techmetals Inc. Ohio-based metal finisher offering plating, anodizing, and electropolishing to aerospace, defense, and medical customers with comparable certifications and customer base.
- Surface Treatment Technologies (STT): Specialty metal finisher with electropolishing and passivation capabilities serving aerospace and medical markets — comparable in scale, scope, and target customer verticals.
- Advent Tool & Manufacturing: Specialty electropolishing and passivation provider focused on medical, aerospace, and industrial customers, with similar emphasis on custom racking for complex geometries.
- EMDEE Metal Finishing: Electropolishing and passivation service provider serving the medical device, aerospace, and semiconductor industries with comparable specialty-alloy capabilities and certifications.
- Professional Plating Inc. Midwest-based metal finisher offering electropolishing, passivation, and related services to industrial, medical, and aerospace customers with overlapping geographic and vertical reach.
- Precision Plating Company: Specialty plater and electropolisher serving medical device and industrial customers; comparable niche focus, certification profile, and customer-segment mix to Able.
Regional players
- Hayden Corp: Specialty metal finisher with electropolishing and passivation capabilities serving aerospace, medical, and industrial customers primarily in the eastern U.S. — comparable offerings with a different regional footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Bodycote: Global thermal processing and surface treatment provider offering a broad portfolio of finishing services including electropolishing-adjacent capabilities; serves overlapping aerospace and medical customers but as part of a much wider service catalog.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Able Electropolishing social profiles
Digital presenceAble Electropolishing compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
Able Electropolishing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Able Electropolishing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Able Electropolishing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Able Electropolishing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Able Electropolishing
What does Able Electropolishing do?
Able Electropolishing provides precision electrochemical metal finishing services, primarily electropolishing, for stainless steel, titanium, Nitinol, and specialty alloy parts. The company removes a uniform microscopic surface layer to eliminate burrs, microcracks, and embedded contaminants, improving corrosion resistance, microfinish, and fatigue life. Complementary services include nitric and citric passivation, vacuum vapor degreasing, in-house testing, bulk electropolishing for fasteners, and a turnkey sourcing service managing a network of contract finishers.
Is Able Electropolishing a public or private company?
Able Electropolishing is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Able Electropolishing founded?
Able Electropolishing was founded in 1954. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Able Electropolishing based?
Able Electropolishing is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Able Electropolishing make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Electropolishing Services are the primary driver. The others are passivation Services, vacuum Vapor Degreasing, bulk Electropolishing for Fasteners and turnkey Sourcing Service.
Who are Able Electropolishing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anoplate Corporation, Electro-Chemical Systems (ECS), Techmetals Inc., Surface Treatment Technologies (STT), Advent Tool & Manufacturing, EMDEE Metal Finishing, Professional Plating Inc. and Precision Plating Company. Hayden Corp is listed as a regional player. Bodycote is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Able Electropolishing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Able Electropolishing.
What industry is Able Electropolishing in?
Able Electropolishing's product category is Metal Finishing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAIAKAE, Electroplating & Metal Finishing (Anodizing/Galvanizing/Passivation). Its NAICS code is 332813 and its SIC code is 3470.