AAA Plating & Inspection

What AAA Plating & Inspection does

AAA Plating & Inspection, Inc. is a privately held specialty metal finishing and plating services provider founded in 1958 and headquartered in Compton, California. The company operates a 50,000 square foot facility that it describes as the world's largest vacuum coatings facility, staffed by 98 employees, and delivers a vertically integrated set of services including five types of anodize (chromic, sulfuric, hard, phosphoric, boric-sulfuric), cadmium plating (vacuum and solution), passivation, paint/coatings, hydrogen embrittlement bake, and non-destructive testing (fluorescent and dye penetrant, magnetic particle, Rockwell hardness, conductivity). Its flagship specialized process is Ion Vapor Deposition (IVD) of aluminum, a vacuum-based aluminum coating originally developed by McDonnell Douglas for the U.S. Air Force as an environmentally clean replacement for cadmium plating, governed by MIL-DTL-83488 with a 925°F continuous service temperature, no hydrogen embrittlement risk, and wrap-around coating capability.

The company serves primarily aerospace and defense prime contractors and Tier 1 suppliers, with approved-supplier status at 35+ organizations including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell, BAE Systems, Bell Textron, Triumph Group, and Heroux Devtek. Secondary verticals include marine, medical, and semiconductor. Revenue is generated through a quote-based, project-driven professional services model: customers submit requests for quote (RFQ) through the company website or direct sales contact, a dedicated estimating team prices each job to specification, and processing is performed to military and aerospace specifications (MIL-DTL-83488, MIL-A-8625, AMS-C-8837, AS9100D). Long-tenured multi-year supply relationships are typical.

Go-to-market is enterprise field sales led by a named sales contact, supported by an estimating/pricing team, a government source contact, and a quality control organization. The company holds NADCAP Chemical Processing and NADCAP Non-Destructive Testing certifications, ISO 9001:2015, AS9100D, and ITAR registration, and is an active member of the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) and Metal Finishing Association of Southern California (MFASC). The facility runs on more than 30,000 square feet of solar panels and operates with zero industrial discharge to the sewer, pre-positioning the company against tightening South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) regulation including the 2021 exit from Sodium Dichromate seal under Rule 1469. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

AAA Plating & Inspection

Legal name

AAA Plating & Inspection, Inc.

Website

https://aaaplating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AAA Plating & Inspection is a 1958-founded aerospace and defense metal finishing services provider operating the world's largest vacuum coatings facility in Compton, California, delivering anodizing, IVD aluminum coating, cadmium plating, and NADCAP-certified NDT to primes including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Finishing & Plating Services

NAICS

Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

akta.pro primary industry

Electroplating & Metallization Chemicals (Cu/Ni/Au plating, additives) (IMAEAKAK)

Keywords

• Metal finishing services
• Aerospace plating
• Non-destructive testing
• Ion vapor deposition
• Anodize coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Compton

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Finishing & Plating Services: Project-based metal finishing services including anodizing, cadmium plating, passivation, painting, and specialty coatings. Revenue generated through custom job processing for aerospace and defense contractors. Services priced via RFQ/estimating process based on specifications, materials, and processing requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AAA Plating & Inspection operates the world's largest vacuum coatings facility (50,000 square feet in Compton, California) and delivers metal finishing services for aerospace and defense contractors. Core offerings include Ion Vapor Deposition (IVD) of aluminum as a cadmium-replacement coating, vacuum cadmium plating, five types of anodize, cadmium plate, passivation, paint/coatings application, surface cleaning, corrosion and environmental testing, hydrogen embrittlement bake, and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). All services are delivered to NADCAP, ISO 9001:2015, AS9100D, and ITAR specifications for approved primes including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

Product overview

AAA Plating & Inspection is a metal finishing service provider offering a comprehensive suite of surface treatment processes for aerospace and defense applications. The company operates as a single integrated service platform rather than a modular product architecture. Core services include Anodize treatments (Chromic, Sulfuric, Hard, Phosphoric, Boric-Sulfuric), Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Cleaning, Testing, Paint/Coatings, and Special Processes. The flagship specialized process is IVD Aluminum Coating (Ion Vapor Deposition of Aluminum), which serves as an environmentally-clean replacement for cadmium plating. Additional offerings include Vacuum Cadmium Coating, Cadmium Plate, and Brush Cadmium. The company also provides Hydrogen Embrittlement Bake and Stress Relieve services. All services are delivered within their 50,000 square foot facility in Compton, California, serving major aerospace primes including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Bell Helicopter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anodize Metal surface treatment process that creates a protective oxide layer on aluminum parts, delivered in five variants (Chromic, Sulfuric, Hard, Chem Film, Phosphoric, and Boric-Sulfuric Anodize) for aerospace, defense, and industrial customers requiring corrosion-resistant coatings per MIL-A-8625 and related specifications.
• Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Inspection and testing services that evaluate material and component integrity without causing damage, including Fluorescent & Dye Penetrant Inspection, Rockwell Hardness Testing, Conductivity Testing, and Magnetic Particle Inspection. NADCAP certified for NDT and used by aerospace and defense customers to validate part quality.
• Cleaning Surface preparation and cleaning services including Abrasive Cleaning, Aqueous Degrease, Titanium Cleaning, Bright Dip of Copper, Glass Bead Blasting, Passivation, and Etching/Pickling for various metals, performed as pre-treatment for downstream plating and coating processes.
• Testing Corrosion and environmental testing services including Salt Spray Fog, High Humidity, Water Immersion, and Copper Sulfate tests to validate the performance of applied coatings on customer parts.
• Paint/Coatings Industrial coating application services including Non-Chromate Primers, Epoxy Primers (High Solids and Waterborne), Etch Primers, Topcoats, Solid Dry Film Lube, Masking, Adhesive Bonding Primers, and Fuel Tank Coatings applied as a downstream finishing step on aerospace and defense parts.
• Special Processes Specialized coating processes including IVD Aluminum Coating (Ion Vapor Deposition), Vacuum Cadmium Coating, Cadmium Plate, and Brush Cadmium for aerospace and defense applications requiring high-purity, specification-compliant coatings.
• Hydrogen Embrittlement Bake and Stress Relieve Post-treatment processes performed at up to 650°F to relieve residual stresses and remove hydrogen from treated metal components after plating operations, used to prevent hydrogen embrittlement failures in high-strength aerospace steels.
• IVD Aluminum Coating (Ion Vapor Deposition of Aluminum) Vacuum-based aluminum coating process operated by AAA Plating & Inspection in the world's largest vacuum coatings facility. Vaporizes 99.9% high-purity aluminum wire in a vacuum chamber back-filled with argon to deposit aluminum onto parts as an environmentally clean replacement for cadmium plating, with 925°F continuous service temperature, no hydrogen embrittlement risk, wrap-around coating capability, and conformance to MIL-DTL-83488 specification.
• Vacuum Cadmium Coating Vacuum-deposited cadmium coating process per AMS-C-8837 and MIL-C-8837 specifications, providing corrosion resistance for aerospace applications requiring traditional cadmium performance characteristics.

Quantifiable outcome

• IVD aluminum outperforms cadmium in actual service tests and acidic salt fog environments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF)coreOthersActive member organization. President Jerry Wahlin serves as an officer and has received the Silvio Taormina Award from NASF. Company participates in NASF SUR/FIN annual conferences and awards programs.
• Metal Finishing Association of Southern California (MFASC)coreOthersActive member organization. President Jerry Wahlin serves as an officer and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from MFASC. Company participates in MFASC events including West Coast Finishers Fall Outing.
• Society of Vacuum Coaters (SVC)minorOthersListed in helpful links as a resource for vacuum coating industry information. Company specializes in vacuum coating technologies including IVD.
• Nadcap Management CouncilcoreOthersPresident Jerry Wahlin serves on the Nadcap Management Council, demonstrating leadership in aerospace quality compliance and certification standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AOT (Advanced Plating Technologies): Wisconsin-based aerospace plating and finishing specialist offering anodizing, cadmium, IVD aluminum, and chromate conversion coatings to defense and aerospace OEMs. Comparable in process mix, certifications, and aerospace-prime supplier status.
• Techmetals: Cincinnati-based aerospace metal finisher specializing in anodizing, plating (including cadmium and IVD aluminum), and conversion coatings for defense and commercial aerospace primes. Comparable in scale, NADCAP-certified operations, and aerospace customer overlap.
• Lincoln Industries: Lincoln, Nebraska-based large aerospace metal finisher offering plating, anodizing, and coating services to aerospace and defense customers. Comparable in service portfolio and aerospace customer base, but larger scale and multi-decade prime supplier relationships.
• Anoplate Corporation: Syracuse, NY-based metal finisher providing anodizing (including hard anodize), plating, IVD aluminum, and NDT to aerospace and defense customers. Directly comparable in service portfolio, NADCAP certifications, and aerospace vertical focus.
• Scientific Metal Finishing: California-based metal finishing provider offering anodizing, plating, and coatings to aerospace and industrial customers. Comparable regional presence and overlap with AAA's California aerospace customer base.
• Hohman Plating & Manufacturing: Dayton, Ohio-based aerospace metal finisher offering anodizing, cadmium plating, IVD aluminum, and NDT services to defense and aerospace customers. Closely comparable to AAA in process mix, NADCAP-certified operations, and aerospace-prime customer base.
• Valence Surface Technologies: One of the largest independent aerospace surface treatment providers in the US, offering anodizing, plating, painting, and NDT services across multiple sites. Directly comparable to AAA Plating in customer base (major aerospace primes), service portfolio, and regulatory certifications (NADCAP, AS9100).
• Allied Finishing: Mid-sized metal finishing company providing anodizing, plating, and coatings to aerospace and defense customers. Comparable in service mix and NADCAP-certified operations, though smaller and more regional in footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Pioneer Metal Finishing: One of the largest US metal finishing companies, offering anodizing, plating, and coating services across multiple facilities and end markets including aerospace, automotive, and industrial. Comparable service portfolio but significantly broader end-market exposure and larger scale than AAA.
• Bodycote: Global heat treatment and surface technology provider with a dedicated Aerospace & Defense division offering plating, anodizing, and NDT services across dozens of facilities worldwide. Comparable in service offerings but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aaa-plating-inc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 AAA Plating & Inspection