KC Jones Plating

What KC Jones Plating does

KC Jones Plating Company, founded in 1955 and headquartered in Warren, Michigan, is an independent metal plating and surface finishing company operating four manufacturing divisions across two countries: a Michigan plating facility (Hazel Park), an Indiana plating facility (Columbia City), a Mexico facility (KC Jones Galvanoplastia, S. DE R.L DE C.V., in Apodaca, Nuevo León), and a Warren-based Adhesive & Sealants Division. The company serves automotive OEMs and Tier-1/2/3 suppliers (Big Three Detroit roots, IATF 16949-certified in Mexico), aerospace and defense manufacturers (NADCAP AC7004 accredited in Michigan), battery electric vehicle suppliers, and industrial customers with a portfolio organized into three process families: corrosion resistance (zinc, zinc-nickel, zinc-iron), wear resistance (electroless nickel phosphorus, electroless nickel boron, and proprietary Miccrolloy® bronze), and conductivity/thermal management (tin, silver, sulfamate nickel), plus BEV-specific coatings, military/Mil-Spec plating, pre-applied Loctite threadlockers and sealants, and value-added services including vacuum impregnation, salt bath nitrocarburizing, furnace copper brazing, and direct OEM shipment.

The underlying technology is based on electroplating and autocatalytic electroless deposition, with proprietary or specialty positioning in nickel boron (claimed global leader in plated square inches, Rockwell 70 C+, heat resistant to 1080°C, ASTM 519-compliant no hydrogen embrittlement), Miccrolloy® bronze (~90% copper / 10% tin, SAE AMS 2429, ~35 Rc, CoF ~0.06, used in landing gear and cylinder block faceplates), and LHE alkaline zinc-nickel (US Air Force-approved cadmium replacement for landing gear). KC Jones also develops conductive ceramic and dielectric protective coatings enabling carbon/composite-cased EV battery enclosures, motor magnets, and cooling plates.

Revenue is generated through quote-based, per-part or per-program contracts priced on surface area, process complexity, and volume, with multi-year program cadence targeting enterprise customers via engineering-led RFQ processes and dual-PPAP capacity across Michigan and Mexico. No public pricing, revenue figures, or ownership structure beyond President & CEO Gordon Mitchell are disclosed; the company is privately held with no institutional investor ownership evident in available data.

Name

KC Jones Plating

Legal name

KC Jones Plating Company

Website

https://kcjplating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KC Jones Plating is a 70+ year independent metal plating and surface finishing company operating four facilities across Michigan, Indiana, and Mexico, serving automotive, aerospace, defense, and EV OEMs with proprietary corrosion-, wear-, and conductivity-focused plating processes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Plating and Surface Finishing

NAICS

Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Metal plating services
• Electroless nickel plating
• Surface finishing services
• Zinc-nickel coating
• Corrosion protection plating

Headquarters

HQ city

Warren

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Plating and Surface Finishing Services: Production-scale electroplating and electroless plating services for corrosion resistance, wear protection, conductivity, and thermal management. Revenue is generated through per-part, per-batch, or per-program pricing based on surface area plated, process complexity, and volume. Services span zinc, zinc-nickel, zinc-iron, electroless nickel (phosphorus and boron), bronze, tin, silver, and sulfamate nickel plating across automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrial customer programs.
2. Adhesive Application Services: Pre-applied Loctite threadlockers, threadsealants, and Precote adhesives applied to threaded fasteners (nuts, bolts, and machined components) at production scale. Revenue generated per-part for chemical adhesive application. KC Jones is Loctite's first authorized application process center (since 1975) and offers combined plating + adhesive programs through its Michigan division.
3. Added/Supporting Services: Value-added services including vacuum impregnation, salt bath nitrocarburizing, furnace copper brazing, assembly, corrosion testing, hardness measurement, custom masking, selective plating, vibratory tumbling, shot blasting, packaging, and direct OEM shipment. These services are typically bundled with plating programs or quoted as separate line items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KC Jones Plating operates as a multi-facility metal plating and surface finishing service provider, delivering corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and conductivity/thermal management coatings on customer-supplied metal components. Services span zinc, zinc-nickel, zinc-iron, electroless nickel (phosphorus and boron), proprietary Miccrolloy bronze, tin, silver, and sulfamate nickel plating, supported by pre-applied Loctite adhesive application and added services such as vacuum impregnation and salt bath nitrocarburizing for automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrial OEM programs.

Product overview

KC Jones Plating is a multi-facility metal plating and surface finishing company offering a portfolio of six core plating processes organized into three categories: Corrosion Resistance (Zinc, Zinc-Nickel, Zinc Iron plating), Wear Resistance (Electroless Nickel Phosphorus, Electroless Nickel Boron, MICCROLLOY® Bronze plating), and Conductivity & Thermal Management (Tin, Silver, Sulfamate Nickel plating). The company also provides specialized solutions for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), military/aerospace applications, and adhesive solutions using Loctite pre-applied threadlockers and sealants. Added services include vacuum impregnation, tumbling, masking, and custom coating development. With operations across Michigan, Indiana, and Mexico facilities, the company serves automotive (IATF 16949), aerospace (Nadcap AC7004), and industrial markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Miccrolloy®: Proprietary bronze plating process by KC Jones, Nadcap-accredited for aerospace and defense applications. Provides exceptional wear resistance and machinability.
• Miccrolloy™ Bronze Plating

Products and services

• Zinc Plating

Quantifiable outcome

• Zinc-nickel plating delivers 1,000+ hours salt spray corrosion resistance
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Loctite (Henkel)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1975KC Jones Plating was Loctite's first authorized application process center, established in 1975. The partnership enables KC Jones to apply Loctite threadlockers, threadsealants (Dri-Loc, Vibra-Seal, Dri-Seal lines), and Precote pre-applied adhesives onto threaded fasteners at production scale. KC Jones ships parts dry-to-the-touch with adhesive pre-applied, eliminating wet chemicals on customer assembly lines. This is a deep, multi-decade strategic relationship with significant customer lock-in.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Master Finish Company: Michigan-based independent plater offering zinc, electroless nickel, and decorative finishes for automotive and industrial customers. Directly comparable given shared Michigan/automotive concentration and overlapping core plating processes.
• Techmetals: Ohio-based metal finishing company specializing in electroless nickel, hard chrome alternatives, and aerospace plating. Closely comparable to KC Jones' Nickel Boron and aerospace-focused plating offerings and serves many of the same industry specifications.
• Valence Surface Technologies: Aerospace-focused plating, anodizing, and surface treatment provider serving flight-critical components for commercial and defense OEMs. Directly comparable to KC Jones' NADCAP-accredited aerospace plating work and proprietary cadmium-replacement chemistry offerings.
• Arlington Plating Company: Independent metal finishing services provider offering zinc, electroless nickel, tin, copper, and silver plating to industrial, automotive, and fastener customers. Comparable in scale and product mix to KC Jones' automotive and industrial plating programs.
• Pioneer Metal Finishing: Largest independent metal finisher in North America offering zinc, zinc-nickel, electroless nickel, anodizing, and passivation across multiple US facilities serving automotive, aerospace, and industrial OEMs. Closest scale and end-market comparable to KC Jones; both serve Tier-1 automotive and aerospace supply chains with similar process portfolios.
• Anoplate Corporation: Independent metal plating and anodizing company offering electroless nickel, zinc, tin, and silver plating for aerospace, defense, electronics, and industrial OEMs. Directly comparable process portfolio and customer segments, particularly defense and aerospace specifications.
• Hohman Plating & Metal Finishing: Midwest-based independent plating and surface finishing shop offering zinc, electroless nickel, anodizing, and passivation services to automotive, industrial, and aerospace customers. Comparable multi-process job-shop model with similar IATF 16949-driven automotive exposure.
• Kuntz Electroplating: Independent electroplating company serving automotive, heavy equipment, and industrial customers with zinc, zinc-nickel, and corrosion-resistant coatings. Comparable multi-process plater serving similar Tier-1/Tier-2 supplier base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kcjonesplating
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kc-jones-plating-company

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 KC Jones Plating