What Klein Plating Works does

Klein Plating Works, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned industrial electroplating and metal finishing service company headquartered in a 32,000-square-foot facility in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 originally as Ferris Chemical Company and renamed Klein Plating Works in 1933, the company is incorporated in Pennsylvania as an S-corporation and currently employs approximately 40 skilled workers operating on first and third shifts. It offers seven core plating services (gold, silver, copper, nickel, electroless nickel, tin, and tin-lead solder) executed via barrel, rack, and selective plating methods, plus a broad suite of value-added metal treatments including passivation, heat treatment and baking, ultrasonic cleaning, bright dipping, polishing and buffing, metal stripping, and post-treatments. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and complies with numerous military, AMS, and ASTM specifications, enabling it to serve electronics, semiconductor, mechanical components, medical device, and decorative finishing customers.

The underlying technology is built around computer-controlled plating lines supported by an in-house laboratory with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) elemental analysis, digital bath monitoring with daily titration and Hull cell testing, X-ray fluorescence and beta-backscatter thickness measurement, eight ultrasonic cleaning stations, and five digitally controlled heat treatment ovens up to 800°F. Klein Plating also operates in-house wastewater treatment with 24-hour monitoring and EPA-certified disposal channels. Its quality infrastructure includes a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and an extensive specification portfolio spanning MIL-G-45204, AMS 2410/2412/2403/2424/2404/2405/2433/2418, MIL-C-14550/26074, MIL-P-27418/81728, MIL-STD-868, ASTM B488/B700/B733/B545/A-380/A-967, and QQ-S-365/QQ-N-290/QQ-P-35. Joe Dudenhoeffer, the fourth-generation owner, serves as President, CEO, and Chairman after acquiring 100% of company stock in June 2013.

The business model is transaction-based job-shop services priced per part specification with net 30 payment terms, using a precious-metals factor system for gold and silver pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led: a direct sales team travels to current and prospective customers, quotes are generated by email or phone, and the company provides Tri-State regional pickup and delivery plus worldwide shipping via UPS, FedEx, and trucking carriers. Customer engagement emphasizes design-phase collaboration, customer audits, and long-term relationship management, with multiple testimonial customers reporting 30-40+ year supplier relationships. The primary customer base is in the northeastern United States, with additional reach across the continental US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.

Name

Klein Plating Works

Legal name

Klein Plating Works, Inc.

Website

https://kleinplating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Klein Plating Works is a fourth-generation, family-owned industrial electroplating and metal finishing service provider, founded in 1915 in Erie, Pennsylvania, offering gold, silver, copper, nickel, tin, and solder plating to electronics, mechanical, medical, and industrial customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Electroplating and Metal Finishing Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Electroplating & Metal Finishing (Anodizing/Galvanizing/Passivation) (IMAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Industrial electroplating services
• Metal finishing services
• Precious metal plating
• Electroless nickel plating
• Barrel rack plating

Headquarters

HQ city

Erie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electroplating and Metal Finishing Services: One-time transaction-based metal finishing services where customers pay per job based on part specifications, plating type, thickness requirements, and processing method. Pricing includes a precious metals factor for gold and silver plating based on market prices. Payment terms are net 30 days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Klein Plating Works provides industrial electroplating and metal finishing services from a 32,000 square foot ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Erie, Pennsylvania. Its core services are gold, silver, copper, nickel, electroless nickel, tin, and tin-lead solder plating, applied via barrel, rack, or selective plating methods per MIL, AMS, ASTM, and QQ specifications. The company also provides supporting treatment services — passivation, heat treatment/baking, polishing, ultrasonic cleaning, stripping, and post-treatments — along with in-house laboratory, quality assurance, waste treatment, packaging, and shipping services.

Product overview

Klein Plating Works operates as an industrial metal finishing and electroplating service company offering precision plating on electronic and mechanical components. The portfolio centers on seven core metal plating services: Gold, Silver, Copper, Nickel, Electroless Nickel, Tin, and Tin-Lead Solder plating, each available via barrel, rack, or select (selective) plating methods. Supporting these are value-added metal treatment services including passivation, heat treatment/baking for hydrogen embrittlement relief, bright dipping, polishing/buffing, cleaning/degreasing, ultrasonic cleaning, metal stripping, and post-treatments. The company also provides quality assurance and laboratory testing, waste treatment, packaging, and shipping/delivery services. Founded in 1915 and ISO 9001:2015 certified, the company processes various substrates including aluminum, copper alloys, steel, stainless steel, and specialty metals for industrial customers primarily in the northeastern United States with global reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gold Plating Services Industrial gold electroplating services offering Type I (99.7% gold minimum), Type II (99.0% gold minimum), and Type III (99.9% gold minimum) grades with various hardness levels, applied via barrel or rack plating methods. Targeted at electronics, semiconductor, and industrial customers requiring MIL-G-45204, AMS 2422, and ASTM B488 compliant gold deposits.
• Silver Plating Services Industrial silver plating services with 99.95% pure or higher silver content, offering Type I (Matte), Type II (Semi-Bright), and Type III (Bright) grades with optional chromate treatment, available via barrel, rack, and vibratory plating methods. Targeted at industrial customers requiring AMS 2410, AMS 2412, QQ-S-365, and ASTM B700 compliant silver deposits.
• Copper Plating Services Industrial cyanide copper plating services with excellent throwing power for complex part geometries, used as an underplate due to its ability to adhere to various substrates. Available via barrel and rack plating methods per MIL-C-14550 and AMS 2418 specifications. Targeted at industrial customers needing decorative finishes or underplate layers.
• Nickel Plating Services Industrial nickel electroplating services offering bright, semi-bright, matte, and low-stress nickel deposits used as a diffusion barrier preventing substrate migration to top coatings. Available via barrel and rack plating methods per MIL-P-27418, MIL-STD-868, AMS 2403, AMS 2424, and QQ-N-290 specifications. Targeted at mechanical and industrial customers requiring wear and corrosion resistance.
• Electroless Nickel Plating Services Chemical reduction nickel plating without external electrical current, producing uniform deposits regardless of complex part geometries. Offers mid-phosphorous (5-9%) and high-phosphorous (10.5-12%) alloys, RoHS compliant, available via barrel and rack plating methods per MIL-C-26074, AMS 2404, AMS 2405, AMS 2433, and ASTM B733 specifications. Targeted at industrial customers needing uniform coatings on complex parts.
• Tin Plating Services RoHS compliant, whisker-free bright or matte tin plating services. Non-toxic and corrosion resistant, prevalent in food processing and electronics industries. Available via barrel and rack plating methods per AMS 2408, MIL-T-10727, and ASTM B545 specifications. Targeted at food processing and electronics manufacturers.
• Tin-Lead Solder Plating Services Industrial solder (tin-lead) plating services offering 60/40, 90/10, and 95/5 tin-lead compositions. Used for improved solderability, corrosion protection, oxidation resistance, and tin whisker elimination. Non-RoHS compliant due to lead content. Available via barrel and rack plating methods per MIL-P-81728 and AMS-P-81728 specifications. Targeted at industrial customers needing reliable solderable finishes.
• Passivation Treatment Services Nitric acid and citric acid passivation treatments for stainless steel to remove exogenous iron contamination and restore corrosion resistance by forming a passive chromium oxide layer. Performed per ASTM A-380, ASTM A-967, AMS 2700, and QQ-P-35 specifications. Targeted at medical, food processing, and industrial customers needing corrosion-resistant stainless surfaces.
• Barrel Plating Services Efficient, low-cost electroplating method where parts rotate inside a barrel immersed in plating solution with electrical contact through danglers or centerbars. Recommended for high-volume plating with uniform coverage. Available for gold, silver, nickel, electroless nickel, copper, tin, and solder plating. Targeted at customers with high-volume small parts requiring cost-effective plating.
• Rack Plating Services Electroplating method for large, complex, or fragile parts where items are hung on racks submersed in plating solution. Uses manual lines for small lots/prototypes up to 50 lbs and PLC-controlled automatic lines for production up to 250 lbs. More labor intensive and costly than barrel plating. Targeted at customers with large, complex, or fragile components requiring precise plating coverage.
• Select (Selective) Plating Services Selective metal deposition on specific functional areas of parts using masking (plater's tape or lacquer), controlled depth, select removal, or custom fixtures and gaskets. Offers cost savings by avoiding unnecessary plating of non-functional surfaces. Targeted at customers needing plating on specific functional areas only.
• Metal Heat Treatment & Baking Services Hydrogen embrittlement relief through metal heat treatment and baking services using five separate digitally controlled ovens with maximum temperature range of 800°F. Also used for adhesion testing, drying, enhancing deposit adhesion, and affecting deposit properties such as electroless nickel hardness. Targeted at industrial customers needing post-plating metallurgical treatment.
• Bright Dipping Metal Treatment Metal processing treatment using strong acids to etch surfaces, remove heavy scales/deposits, and create matte, bright, or lustrous appearances. Can help remove burrs and surface defects or remove metal to achieve tolerance requirements. Targeted at industrial customers needing surface preparation or aesthetic finishing.
• Metal Polishing & Buffing Services Metal polishing removes topical imperfections and develops smooth surfaces, while metal buffing creates highly reflective surfaces with satin to mirror bright finishes using high-speed lathes with various wheels and compounds. Targeted at customers needing decorative or pre-plating surface preparation.
• Metal Cleaning & Degreasing Services Metal cleaning services including alkaline soak cleaning, alkaline electro-cleaning (direct and reverse current), acid cleaning, and ultrasonic cleaning to remove dirt, oils, lubricants, grease, compounds, and other surface contaminants. Targeted at customers needing pre-plating surface preparation.
• Ultrasonic Parts Cleaning Services Critical cleaning service using high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation for cleaning hidden recesses, blind holes, crevices, and hard-to-reach areas. KPW operates eight separate ultrasonic cleaning stations for parts ranging from small delicate interconnects to large complex castings. Targeted at customers with complex parts needing precision cleaning.
• Metal Stripping Services Metallic coating removal services for defective plating, conversion to different coatings, worn-out deposits, or parts requiring additional processing. Uses appropriate chemistries to remove deposits with minimal effect on base metal. Targeted at industrial customers needing rework or coating removal.
• Post Metal Treatment Services Chemical post-treatments applied after final plating to enhance electrodeposit properties including anti-tarnish treatments for silver and copper, corrosion protection for thin gold deposits, oxidation/discoloration protection for tin and nickel, and wax treatments. Targeted at industrial customers needing extended functional life of plated finishes.
• Metal Parts Packaging Services Metal parts packaging services including maximum load/weight sizing, individual piece packaging, sulfur-free materials, desiccant bags, Silver Saver paper, part segregation/dividers, bagging, bubble wrap/foam protection, and bulk packaging in containers or bins. Targeted at industrial customers needing tarnish- and contamination-protected shipping of plated parts.
• Shipping, Pick-Up & Delivery Services Local pick-up and delivery service extending to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo (Tri-State area), with worldwide shipping through UPS, FedEx, and major trucking companies. Supports just-in-time delivery requirements. Targeted at industrial customers needing reliable inbound/outbound logistics for plated parts.
• Quality Assurance & Testing Services Quality assurance testing using X-ray fluorescence (two bench-top units and one hand-held portable), beta-backscatter for thickness evaluation, solderability testing, microscopic inspection up to 80x magnification, and adhesion testing per military, ASTM, government, or customer-specific requirements. Targeted at industrial customers needing documented plating thickness, composition, and adhesion verification.
• Laboratory Quality Control Services In-house laboratory services including inductively coupled plasma (ICP) elemental analysis to parts-per-billion accuracy, digital pH/temperature monitoring, daily titration schedules, daily Hull cell testing, hardness/purity testing, bath purification, and proprietary software for bath parameter tracking and statistical trending. Targeted at customers requiring documented process control and specification compliance.
• Waste Treatment Services In-house wastewater treatment using pH neutralization, flocculation, coagulation, precipitation, and filtering to remove hazardous materials before discharge. Segregated waste streams with 24-hour monitoring and ICP testing. Solid hazardous materials sent to EPA-certified recyclers for incineration and reclaim. Targeted at regulatory compliance for plating operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lead time of seven to ten business days
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Uyemura International Corporation: US subsidiary of Japan's Uyemura & Co., specializing in precious metal (gold, silver, palladium) and electroless nickel plating for electronics and industrial customers. The closest functional peer to Klein given its mix of decorative and functional precious-metal finishes for high-reliability electronics and connector applications.
• Technic Inc. Rhode Island-based specialty plating chemistry and equipment supplier that also operates finishing service lines. Comparable to Klein because it serves the same electronics and industrial plating customers with similar chemistries (gold, silver, electroless nickel) and aerospace/connector qualifications.
• Pioneer Metal Finishing: Wisconsin-headquartered industrial metal finisher offering zinc, electroless nickel, anodizing, and other plating services to automotive, heavy equipment, and general industrial customers. Comparable in scale, multi-generation history, and broad chemistry mix to Klein, with a wider geographic footprint.
• Elm Plating Company: Chicago-area industrial electroplating service provider with barrel and rack plating across multiple finishes including zinc, nickel, electroless nickel, and tin. Comparable as a long-standing independent plating house serving multi-industry customers with a similar mix of functional finishes.
• Precision Plating Company: Chicago-based plating service company offering electroless nickel, gold, silver, tin, and copper plating for industrial and electronics customers. Closely comparable to Klein in chemistry mix, target verticals, and emphasis on tight-tolerance functional plating.
• Anoplate Corporation: Syracuse, NY-based industrial electroplater providing anodizing, electroless nickel, gold, silver, tin, and zinc plating to aerospace, defense, electronics, and medical customers. Closely comparable in scope, certifications (including MIL/ASTM specs), and target industries.
• Metalor Technologies USA: Swiss-owned precious metals company with US finishing operations that applies gold, silver, and platinum-group coatings to electronics and decorative customers. Closest peer to Klein's precious metal plating business and a direct competitor for the same electronics connector and semiconductor customers.

Broad incumbents

• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Now part of MKS Instruments, Atotech is a global leader in plating chemistry and surface finishing solutions for electronics, automotive, and industrial markets. Larger incumbent competing both as a chemistry supplier and via captive finishing capability against finishers like Klein.
• MacDermid Enthone Electronics Solutions (Element Solutions): Division of Element Solutions Inc., MacDermid Enthone provides plating chemistries and surface treatment solutions for electronics and industrial finishing worldwide. Competes with Klein's process chemistries and serves overlapping electronics, connector, and decorative customers.

Others

• Hubbard-Hall: Specialty chemical supplier to the metal finishing industry providing plating chemistries, cleaners, and surface treatment chemicals. Functions as an upstream chemistry supplier to finishers like Klein rather than a direct competitor, but serves the same customer ecosystem and supply chain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance17 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Klein Plating Works