Etched Metal Company

What Etched Metal Company does

Etched Metal Company is a U.S.-based custom manufacturer of metal and plastic identification products, founded in 1928 and operating from a single facility in Solon, Ohio with 11-50 employees. The company produces aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, and brass/copper nameplates, asset tags, sling/wire-rope/chain tags, overlays, decals, domed labels, and specialty items such as custom pocket scales and degree wheels. Its core manufacturing processes are chemical etching, screen printing, digital inkjet printing (UV, thermal, EFI), and multiple anodizing types, all performed in-house at the Solon facility with no minimum order quantities.

The company's technical foundation is anchored by its MetalPhoto finishing process, which uses silver-halide imaging sealed inside anodized aluminum to produce archival, permanent identification rated against multiple military and federal specifications (MIL-STD-130N, MIL-DTL-15024G, MIL-P-19834B, A-A-50271 Class-2, GGP-455B(3)). It also holds MIL-I-45208 quality certification, UL Authorized Label Supplier status, and CAGE Code 7A088 for federal procurement. The firm serves a diversified base of over 600 active customers across aerospace, military, OEM manufacturing, rail, oil and gas, renewables, music, and other industrial verticals.

Etched Metal generates revenue primarily through quote-based, one-time custom manufacturing orders with flexible unit volumes, supplemented by per-unit-priced specialty products and commercial digital printing services. Its go-to-market is direct sales via toll-free and local phone lines, a website Request Quote form, and an explicitly broker-welcome channel, supported by named account representatives and an in-house art department. The customer base shows significant long-tenure stickiness, with multiple testimonials documenting 11-20+ year supply relationships and on-time delivery tracked since 2008.

Name

Etched Metal Company

Legal name

Etched Metal Company

Website

https://etched-metal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Etched Metal Company is a Solon, Ohio-based custom manufacturer founded in 1928 that produces metal and plastic nameplates, asset tags, and specialty identification products using in-house chemical etching, digital printing, and anodizing for aerospace, military, OEM, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Metal Nameplates

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328), All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Packaging Decoration & Printing (Lithography, Digital, Sleeving on Metal) (IMALADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Security, Tamper-Evident & Track-and-Trace Printing (IMALAKAJ)

Keywords

• Custom metal nameplates
• Industrial identification tags
• Photo etching services
• Metal asset tags
• Digital nameplate printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Solon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Metal Nameplates and Tags: One-time purchase manufacturing of custom metal nameplates, tags, labels, overlays, and decals. Orders range from single pieces to hundreds of thousands of units. No minimum order quantities required.
2. Specialty Products: Custom pocket scales, degree wheels, and specialty industrial products sold as finished goods with per-unit pricing.
3. Digital Printing Services: Commercial digital printing services for decals, labels, tags, stickers, magnets, posters, signs, banners, and custom personalized products on various materials including aluminum, steel, plastic, acrylic, vinyl.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Etched Metal Company manufactures custom metal identification products including nameplates, asset tags, sling tags, and specialty labels using photo etching, MetalPhoto silver-halide imaging, anodizing, screen printing, and digital printing processes. Its products are designed for industrial manufacturers, aerospace and defense contractors, and OEM customers that require durable, specification-compliant identification. The company serves both short-run prototypes and higher-volume production runs with no stated minimum order quantity.

Product overview

Etched Metal Company is a manufacturer of custom metal and plastic nameplates, tags, labels, and specialty identification products founded in 1928. The company's core offerings include aluminum nameplates, stainless steel nameplates, plastic nameplates, and brass/copper nameplates, all custom-manufactured to customer specifications. Supporting products include MetalPhoto archival imaging for harsh environments, commercial digital printing services, sling/wire rope/chain tags, custom pocket scales, degree wheels, domed labels, and asset tags. The company also provides commercial-industrial digital printing capabilities for various substrates. All products are manufactured in-house at the Solon, Ohio facility with no minimum order quantities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aluminum Nameplates
• Stainless Steel Nameplates
• Plastic Nameplates
• Brass & Copper Nameplates
• MetalPhoto Finishing
• Digital Printing Services
• Wire Rope, Chain, and Sling Tags
• Custom Pocket Scales
• Degree Wheels
• Domed Labels
• Asset Tags

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 active customers served with same quality standards regardless of order size
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ID Label Inc. Manufacturer of durable barcode labels, asset tags, and equipment identification for industrial and warehouse applications. Overlaps with Etched Metal's asset tag and barcode label business, particularly in non-metal substrates.
• Industrial Nameplate: Specialty manufacturer of metal nameplates, asset tags, and industrial labels using chemical etching and screen printing—directly comparable in product offering, materials, and target verticals.
• Horizons Inc. Custom metal nameplates, dials, panels, and overlays manufacturer using anodizing, etching, and screen printing processes. Highly comparable niche specialty manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, and OEM customers.
• Metalcraft Inc. Manufacturer of metal barcode labels, asset tags, and nameplates for industrial tracking applications. Overlaps directly with Etched Metal's asset tag and identification product lines serving aerospace, defense, and industrial customers.
• Quality Nameplate Company: Direct competitor in custom metal nameplates, panels, and industrial identification tags, serving similar OEM, aerospace, and industrial customer base with comparable etching, screen printing, and anodizing processes.
• American Nameplate: Custom manufacturer of nameplates, panels, and labels using metal etching, screen printing, and digital printing—closely aligned process set, materials, and customer verticals to Etched Metal Company.

Emerging players

• Lake Graphics Label & Decal: Smaller specialty label and decal manufacturer using digital printing on metal and other substrates. Comparable digital printing capabilities and short-run flexibility for industrial identification, though at smaller scale than Etched Metal.

Broad incumbents

• Brady Corporation: Publicly listed identification specialist offering labels, nameplates, tags, and safety identification products across a much broader portfolio. Competes with Etched Metal in industrial asset identification but operates at significantly greater scale with global reach.
• Accuform Signs: Broader safety signage and identification products manufacturer with overlapping offerings in asset tags, equipment identification, and facility labels. Larger catalog and distribution but adjacent rather than directly competing on metal nameplates.

Others

• Eagle Systems: Supplier of nameplate and identification manufacturing equipment, tooling, and consumables. Adjacent rather than directly competing—could be a partner, supplier, or potential roll-up consolidator in the nameplate manufacturing space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/etchedmetal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/etched-metal-company

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Etched Metal Company