What Plating Specialties does

Plating Specialties Inc. is a Michigan-based metal finishing job shop founded in 1973, providing electroplating and conversion coating services to industrial manufacturers. Operating from a single facility at 1675 E. 10 Mile Road in Madison Heights, the company serves customers needing corrosion protection, decorative finishes, and functional surface properties on metal components across aluminum, copper, steel, and stainless steel substrates. The business runs on a project-based, quote-driven model, with customers engaging directly by phone or email for production scheduling and pricing.

The company offers eleven distinct plating finishes — Alodine (Type I, II, and trivalent variants), Bright Nickel, Cadmium, Copper, Electroless Nickel, Passivation, Silver, Sulfamate Nickel, Tin, and Zinc — delivered through two methods: rack plating for precision individual parts and barrel plating for high-volume bulk processing. Notable technical capabilities include electroless nickel plating compliant with ELV, RoHS, and WEEE European directives and trivalent chromate offerings alongside traditional hexavalent options, positioning the company to serve both legacy specifications and environmentally regulated applications. The company explicitly does not offer chrome plating or stripping services.

Plating Specialties operates a direct sales model with no intermediaries, channel partners, or digital ordering infrastructure. The company relies on its website (platspec.com) and inbound calls to its main line for new business, with quoting handled by Derek Baker, technical and quality inquiries by Bill Karpuk, and operations managed by Office Manager Genna Quick. With 11–50 employees and no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or third-party distribution relationships, the business appears to be a tightly-held independent operation. Operational constraints are visible in limited business hours (Monday–Thursday 6am–2pm, Friday closed), which may signal capacity limits or owner-operator preferences rather than active scaling.

Name

Plating Specialties

Legal name

Plating Specialties Inc.

Website

https://platspec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plating Specialties Inc. is a Michigan-based metal finishing job shop founded in 1973 that provides electroplating and conversion coating services—including nickel, zinc, cadmium, electroless nickel, and Alodine finishes—on aluminum, copper, steel, and stainless steel parts for Midwest industrial manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

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

• Metal finishing services
• Electroplating services
• Electroless nickel plating
• Metal surface treatment
• Industrial plating

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Metal Plating Services: One-time metal finishing and plating services for customer parts. Services include various plating processes (nickel, cadmium, copper, silver, tin, zinc, electroless nickel, passivation, alodine) performed on customer-provided metal components. Revenue generated through per-project or per-part pricing based on plating type, quantity, and complexity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Plating Specialties is a contract metal finishing company that applies thin metallic coatings and conversion coatings to customer-supplied metal parts. It offers electroplating services (Nickel, Cadmium, Copper, Silver, Tin, Zinc), electroless nickel plating, passivation of stainless steel, and chromate conversion coating (Alodine) using both rack and barrel methods on Aluminum, Copper, Steel, and Stainless Steel substrates.

Product overview

Plating Specialties is a metal finishing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of electroplating and conversion coating services since 1973. The company provides eleven distinct plating services including Alodine (Type I, II, and Trivalent variants), Bright Nickel, Cadmium, Copper, Electroless Nickel, Passivation, Silver, Sulfamate Nickel, Tin, and Zinc plating. These services are delivered through two primary plating methods: Rack plating for individual parts requiring precision, and Barrel plating for high-volume bulk processing. The company plates on various substrate materials including Aluminum, Copper, Steel, and Stainless Steel. All processes are designed to meet customer specifications with a focus on quality and corrosion protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alodine (Type I, II, and Trivalent) Chromate conversion coating service for aluminum substrates that provides corrosion resistance and improved paint adhesion. Offered in Type I and II variants as well as a trivalent, environmentally preferred formulation available in Clear, Yellow, Olive Drab, and Black finishes. Targeted at industrial manufacturers of aluminum parts.
• Bright Nickel Plating Electrodeposited bright nickel plating service providing corrosion protection and a decorative finish on metal components. Targeted at industrial manufacturers seeking aesthetic and protective surface finishes.
• Cadmium Plating Cadmium plating service available in Clear, Yellow, and Olive Drab finishes for superior corrosion resistance, especially in marine and aerospace environments. Targeted at industrial manufacturers requiring high-performance corrosion protection.
• Copper Plating (Semi-Bright) Semi-bright copper electroplating service used as an undercoat for subsequent plating layers or for specific functional applications requiring a copper surface. Targeted at industrial manufacturers with multi-layer plating requirements.
• Electroless Nickel Plating Electroless nickel plating compliant with ELV, RoHS, and WEEE European Union directives, providing uniform coating thickness on complex geometries. Targeted at industrial manufacturers requiring regulatory-compliant, uniform deposits on intricately shaped parts.
• Passivation (Stainless Steel) Passivation service for stainless steel components that removes free iron from the surface and forms a protective chromium-rich oxide layer to enhance corrosion resistance. Targeted at manufacturers of stainless steel parts.
• Silver Plating Silver electroplating service for electrical conductivity, solderability, and decorative applications. Targeted at industrial manufacturers of electrical components and decorative parts.
• Sulfamate Nickel Plating Sulfamate nickel plating service, including the Nickel-Cadmium Diffused (Ni-Cd) process, suited for high-stress applications and dimensional buildup. Targeted at industrial manufacturers of parts subjected to severe mechanical or thermal stress.
• Tin Plating (Matte) Matte tin electroplating service providing good solderability and corrosion resistance. Targeted at industrial manufacturers of electrical, electronic, and food-grade components.
• Zinc Plating Zinc electroplating service available in Clear, Yellow, Olive Drab, and Black finishes for corrosion protection of steel parts. Available in both trivalent and hexavalent formulations. Targeted at industrial manufacturers of steel components needing sacrificial corrosion protection.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Valence Surface Technologies: Aerospace-focused metal finishing company providing plating, anodizing, and surface treatment with AS9100/Nadcap certifications — directly comparable in service offering and end-market exposure, particularly for defense and aerospace plating.
• Anoplate Corporation: Independent US metal finisher offering a broad portfolio of electroplating, anodizing, and conversion coating services on multiple substrates — directly comparable in service mix and independent job-shop positioning.
• Tech Met: Independent metal finishing company providing electroplating and surface treatment services — directly comparable in service offerings and small-to-mid independent job-shop positioning.
• AOTco Metal Finishing: Northeast US metal finishing job shop offering plating, anodizing, and passivation services — closely comparable in business model and customer base to Plating Specialties' independent, multi-substrate finishing operation.
• Surface Technology Inc. Specialty metal finishing company offering electroplating and coatings with strong presence in aerospace and defense — comparable in plating portfolio and end-market focus.
• Birchwood Technologies: Manufacturer and provider of metal finishing chemicals and services including blackening, plating, and surface treatment — comparable as a metal finishing operator, with broader chemical-product integration.
• Pioneer Metal Finishing: Largest independent US metal finishing job shop offering electroplating, anodizing, passivation, and surface treatment across multiple substrates — directly comparable business model to Plating Specialties at greater scale and geographic reach.

Others

• Columbia Chemical: Specialty supplier of plating chemistries and processes for zinc, zinc-alloy, and decorative finishing — adjacent player as an enabling chemistry supplier to metal finishing operations including Plating Specialties' customers.

Broad incumbents

• Hubbard-Hall: Specialty chemicals and surface treatment solutions provider that supplies plating chemistries and finishing expertise to industrial customers — broader incumbent with both chemistry supply and finishing service capabilities overlapping with Plating Specialties' customer base.
• HEF Group: Global leader in surface treatment and tribology, offering a broad portfolio of plating, coating, and thermal treatment services — broader incumbent operating at international scale with overlapping service offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Plating-Specialties-100064087591089
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plating-specialties-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Plating Specialties