What Hohman Plating does

Hohman Plating, LLC is a Dayton, Ohio-based metal finishing and coating service provider founded in 1918, operating for over 100 years as a privately held LLC serving primarily the aerospace and defense sectors. The company executes specialized surface treatments using electrochemical and vacuum deposition processes, offering a portfolio of over 50 processes spanning anodizing, electroplating (nickel, chrome, copper, tin, zinc, cadmium, precious metals), conversion coatings (passivation, phosphate, black oxide, chem film), Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings, dry film lubricants, and aerospace primer application. Its PVD division has coated over one million aerospace parts and pioneered MoS2 coatings that became industry standards. The company holds Nadcap AC7108 (Chemical Processing) and AC7109 (Coatings) accreditations, AS9100D including ISO 9001:2015 certification, AS13100 compliance, ITAR registration, and RoHS compliance — collectively qualifying it as an approved supplier to major aerospace primes and defense contractors.

The business operates on a job-shop custom manufacturing model. Revenue is generated through processing fees quoted per job via a website-based Request for Quote (RFQ) workflow, with pricing varying by specifications, part complexity, process requirements, and volume. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales targeting aerospace and defense procurement organizations; the company cites GE Aerospace, Collins Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Raytheon, Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed Martin, NASA, and General Dynamics as customers. Distribution is direct-only with no resellers or channel partners, and marketing relies on industry trade publication visibility (Products Finishing magazine Top Shop for ten consecutive years) and a monthly newsletter rather than paid acquisition. Customer segments are organized vertically with Aerospace & Defense as primary and Industrial/Commercial (agriculture, automotive, construction, nuclear, electronics, energy, food, medical) as secondary.

Operational footprint is concentrated at the 814 Hillrose Ave. headquarters in Dayton, Ohio. The company is currently executing a $12 million plant expansion announced in 2023 to add new chemical lines and a redesigned wastewater treatment department, following a 2020 expansion for the same purpose. This reinvestment cycle indicates ongoing capacity buildout to address demand from its Tier-1 customer base. Ownership appears private/founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds; the website logo references "Novaria" alongside Hohman Plating branding, suggesting a possible corporate relationship not formally disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Hohman Plating

Legal name

Hohman Plating LLC

Website

https://hohmanplating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hohman Plating is a 1918-founded, Dayton, Ohio-based metal finishing and coating job shop serving aerospace and defense primes (GE Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce, NASA) and industrial customers with over 50 certified processes including PVD, electroplating, and conversion coatings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Finishing and Coating Services

NAICS

Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813), Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (3328)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Protective Coatings (Steel/Concrete/Equipment) (IMAIAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM)

Keywords

• Metal finishing services
• Electroplating services
• Physical vapor deposition
• Aerospace coatings
• Surface treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Finishing and Coating Services: Job-shop custom manufacturing model providing metal finishing and coating services to aerospace, defense, and industrial customers. Services are quoted and priced per job based on specifications, processes required, part complexity, and volume. Revenue is generated through processing fees for specialized finishing services across 50+ processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hohman Plating provides custom metal finishing and coating services to aerospace, defense, and industrial customers through a job-shop model with over 50 different processes covering 1,000+ specification callouts. The service portfolio includes electroplating (nickel, chrome, copper, tin, zinc, cadmium, precious metals), anodizing, conversion coatings (passivation, phosphate, black oxide, chem film), electroless nickel, hard chrome plating, dry film lubricants, aerospace primer application, and a dedicated Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings division.

Product overview

Hohman Plating, LLC is a metal finishing and coating service company established in 1918 with over 100 years of experience serving the aerospace, defense, nuclear, medical, electronics, automotive, and other industries. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of surface treatment services through its core platform of metal finishing processes. The product suite includes electroplating services (Nickel, Chrome, Copper, Tin, Zinc, Cadmium, and Precious Metals), conversion coatings (Passivation, Phosphate, Black Oxide, Chem Film), vacuum/PVD coatings, anodizing, primer application, and dry film lubricants. PVD Coatings operates as a specialized division offering wear-resistant coatings via Physical Vapor Deposition processes including Cathodic Arc, Sputtering, and Ion Plating. The company maintains AS9100D/ISO 9001:2015 certification, Nadcap accreditations for AC7108 Chemical Processing and AC7109 Coatings, ITAR certification, RoHS compliance, and AS13100 compliance. Hohman Plating has been recognized as a Product Finishing Top Shop for ten consecutive years and serves major aerospace and defense primes including GE Aerospace, Collins Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Raytheon, Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed Martin, NASA, and General Dynamics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anodizing Electrolytic process creating a protective oxide layer on aluminum surfaces. Offered in Chromic Acid Anodize, Sulfuric Acid Anodize, Hard Anodize, and Boric Sulfuric variants to provide corrosion resistance, electrical insulation, paint adhesion, and wear resistance for aerospace and industrial customers.
• Cadmium Plating Soft white metal plating used primarily for corrosion prevention, offering corrosion resistance in marine environments, good lubricity, solderability, and low galvanic corrosion in contact with aluminum. Available in rack and barrel plating with chromate options for aerospace and defense customers.
• Chem Film (Chromate Conversion) Chromate conversion coating on aluminum and aluminum alloys (also known as Alodine or Iridite) providing corrosion inhibition and serving as a primer base. Conforms to MIL-DTL-5541 and AMS specifications for aerospace and defense customers.
• Copper Plating Acid and cyanide copper coatings applied via rack or barrel methods. Acid copper provides level deposits for heavier coatings; cyanide copper serves as a barrier layer over steel or zinc. Applications include heat treat stop-off, brazing, repair, electroforming, and drawing lubricant.
• Decorative Chrome Thin chrome deposit (coverage to 50 micro-inches) typically applied over bright nickel, providing a blue tint, preventing nickel oxidation, adding corrosion protection, and improving wear resistance. Available in Bright, Satin, Dull, and Duplex Chrome finishes.
• Dry Film Lubricants Solid film lubricants (matrix bonded materials) providing solid, curable lubricating films, including Sandstrom, Everlube, and Loctite products applied via brush, spray, roll, or dip methods for aerospace and industrial customers.
• Electroless Nickel Auto-catalytic chemical reduction coating requiring no external electricity, depositing uniformly over complex surfaces. Available in Medium Phosphorus (6-9%) and High Phosphorus (10-14%) variants, with optional PTFE co-deposition for dry lubricating properties.
• Hard Chrome (Engineering Chrome) Heavy chrome plating for part repair and wear resistance used on pistons, cylinders, aircraft engine parts, cutting tools, dies, oil tool parts, and valves. Coating deposits range from coverage to 0.030 inch with hardness of Rockwell C 60-70.
• Nickel Plating Versatile corrosion-resistant finish available in Sulfamate (Engineering), Semi-Bright, and Bright variants. Sulfamate nickel offers ductility and low stress; Semi-Bright provides polishability; Bright nickel offers hardness and corrosion resistance.
• Passivation Chemical process to clean and improve corrosion resistance of stainless steels and corrosion-resistant alloys by removing metallic contaminants and accelerating passive oxide layer formation. Conforms to AMS 2700, AMS-QQ-P-35, ASTM-A-380, and ASTM-A-967.
• Phosphate Coatings Conversion coatings for steel parts providing corrosion resistance, lubricity, or foundation for subsequent coatings. Three types produced: Zinc Phosphate (large crystal, gray appearance), Heat Stable Zinc Phosphate (smaller crystal), and Manganese Phosphate (black appearance, for friction and bearing surfaces).
• Precious Metals Plating (Gold and Silver) 24K pure gold plating for soldering, electrical conductivity, and corrosion resistance, plus silver plating (matte and semi-bright) for electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and high-temperature lubrication. Applied via rack and barrel methods.
• Primer Application Aerospace primer application in a controlled PWA 104 Room A classified environment, using primers including PWA 478, PWA 36568, PWA 36483, MIL-PRF-23377, Hamilton Sundstrand MS37.14, and Universal Propulsion F-516 for aerospace engine and component manufacturers.
• PVD Coatings (Physical Vapor Deposition) Vacuum coatings division providing friction and wear-resistant coatings and high-performance hard coatings for the aerospace industry. Processes include Cathodic Arc Deposition (TiN, TiCN, TiC, CrN, TiAlN), Sputtering (Ni, Cu, MoS2), and Ion Plating (Pb, Ag, Au, Ni, Pt, Cu).
• Tin Plating Soft ductile metal plating available in Bright (Acid Tin) and Matte (Stannate Tin) finishes for corrosion prevention in food containers, soldering of electronic components, and lubrication of moving components. Applied via rack and barrel methods.
• Zinc Plating Sacrificial coating for corrosion prevention of parent metal (usually steel), available as Cyanide Zinc (barrel) and Acid Zinc (rack and barrel) with Gold, Clear (trivalent, RoHS compliant), Black, and Olive Drab chromates. Conforms to ASTM-B633, AMS 2402, and MIL-STD-171.
• Black Oxide Black conversion coating for steel or stainless steel providing aesthetic appeal without corrosion protection, with no dimensional alterations during application. Conforms to AMS 2485 and MIL-DTL-13924 specifications.
• Base Metals Processing Metal finishing services performed on various substrate materials including bronze, beryllium copper, steel, stainless steel, high carbon steel, hardened steel, rare earth metals, Inconel, zirconium, silicon iron, and super alloys.

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Valence Surface Technologies: Valence is the largest independent aerospace metal finisher in North America, offering anodizing, plating, painting, and chemical processing to commercial aerospace and defense primes — the closest direct competitor to Hohman Plating in aerospace-focused metal finishing services.
• Anoplate Corporation: Anoplate is a New York-based Nadcap-accredited metal finisher specializing in precious metal plating, anodizing, and conversion coatings for aerospace, medical, and electronics — a directly comparable specialty aerospace finishing shop to Hohman Plating.
• Techmetals: Techmetals is an Ohio-based metal finishing company serving aerospace, defense, and industrial customers with plating, anodizing, and conversion coatings — a regional direct peer to Hohman with overlapping Nadcap-accredited capabilities and customer base.
• KC Jones Plating Company: KC Jones Plating is a Michigan-based metal finisher serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets with zinc, nickel, electroless nickel, and tin plating — directly comparable in services and target markets to Hohman Plating.
• Pioneer Metal Finishing: Pioneer is one of the largest contract metal finishers in North America with multiple sites, serving aerospace, automotive, medical, and industrial customers — a direct multi-site peer with overlapping aerospace plating and anodizing capabilities to Hohman Plating.

Broad incumbents

• SIFCO Industries: SIFCO Industries is a public aerospace component manufacturer that also operates a leading selective plating business and contract metal finishing services — a broader aerospace incumbent with overlapping finishing capabilities to Hohman Plating's aerospace plating work.
• Aalberts Surface Technologies: Aalberts Surface Technologies is a large European-based industrial surface treatment group with aerospace and automotive finishing capabilities including PVD, plating, and heat treatment — a broader incumbent with overlapping aerospace coating technology to Hohman Plating.
• Bodycote: Bodycote is a global leader in heat treatment and metal finishing services, including hot isostatic pressing and surface technologies serving aerospace and industrial customers — a broad incumbent with overlapping aerospace surface-treatment capabilities to Hohman Plating.

Others

• MKS Instruments (Atotech): Atotech (now part of MKS Instruments) supplies the plating chemistries, equipment, and process know-how used by contract finishers including Hohman; an adjacent ecosystem supplier whose technology roadmap shapes Hohman's available processes.
• Uyemura International: Uyemura is a leading supplier of plating chemistries (gold, silver, electroless nickel, PVD) to the electronics and aerospace finishing industries — an adjacent ecosystem supplier to Hohman Plating whose chemistry portfolio complements Hohman's precious metals and PVD service lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hohman_plating
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hohmanplating

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hohman Plating