Caswell

What Caswell does

Caswell Inc is a privately held US manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of metal finishing products, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Victor, New York with a secondary operating reference to Lyons, New York. The company sells electroplating kits, aluminum anodizing systems, black-oxide coating systems, polishing and buffing supplies, low-temperature soldering rods (under the Casweld™ sub-brand), phenol-novolac epoxy gas-tank sealers, and industrial lacquers (Permalac). Its proprietary technology base rests on electrochemistry — tank and brush plating across roughly ten metals (chrome, nickel, gold, silver, copper, brass, bronze, zinc, tin, plus black chrome/krome) and electroless auto-catalytic deposition — augmented by specialty formulations such as Mega Black room-temperature blackening chemistry and Casweld low-temperature brazing rods engineered for dissimilar-metal repair. Distribution is handled primarily through a BigCommerce-powered e-commerce storefront with customer accounts, wishlists, gift certificates, and order tracking; a network of four authorized international distributors (Canada, Australia, UK, Spain) extends reach into regions where US shipping of hazardous chemicals is restricted or uneconomic.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce on a pay-as-you-go, one-time-purchase basis with no subscription layer. The catalog spans entry-level consumables under $10 up to $12,638.50 industrial rectifiers, with most kits in the $50-$1,500 range. Three customer segments anchor revenue: (1) hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts doing automotive, motorcycle, firearm, and craft metal finishing; (2) professional metal finishers, restorers, and small commercial shops needing commercial-grade kits and technical support; and (3) a smaller industrial-manufacturer segment. Marketing is content-led — YouTube demonstrations, a customer forum, downloadable plating manuals, surface-area and power-supply calculators, and online plating classes — feeding organic SEO and email-driven repeat purchases. Headcount is reported as 11-50, the company has raised no outside funding, and the international footprint is built on distributor partnerships rather than owned entities.

Name

Caswell

Legal name

Caswell Inc

Website

https://caswellplating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caswell Inc is a privately held US manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of metal finishing products — electroplating kits, anodizing systems, black-oxide coatings, polishing supplies, low-temperature soldering rods, and epoxy gas-tank sealers — serving hobbyists, restoration professionals, and small commercial finishing shops across the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and Spain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyons

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of metal finishing products including plating kits, anodizing kits, polishing supplies, gas tank sealers, and restoration products. Products are sold with unit pricing at various sizes from small bottles to commercial systems. Revenue is generated through one-time product purchases with no subscription component.
2. International Distribution: Revenue generated through international distribution partners including Caswell Canada, Caswell Australia, and European distributors (Surface Monkey, Anvil Europe). Distributors purchase products in bulk for resale in their respective regions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Caswell Inc manufactures and retails metal finishing product kits that enable hobbyists and professionals to apply decorative and protective metal coatings through electroplating, anodizing, black oxide treatment, polishing, and specialized chemical processes. The company offers comprehensive kit systems for chrome, nickel, gold, silver, copper, brass, zinc, tin, and bronze plating, plus anodizing kits, gas tank sealers, soldering rods, lacquers, and supporting hardware such as rectifiers and tanks. Products are sold primarily through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront with international distribution in Canada, Australia, the UK, and Spain.

Product overview

Caswell Inc is a manufacturer and retailer of metal finishing products, primarily serving hobbyists, restoration professionals, and small-to-medium commercial operations. The product portfolio centers on electroplating and anodizing kit systems — enabling users to apply decorative and protective metal coatings (chrome, nickel, gold, silver, copper, brass, zinc, tin, bronze, black oxide) to metal parts via electrochemistry or electroless deposition. Complementary systems address the full metal finishing workflow: anodizing and dyeing aluminum, black oxide coating of steel, polishing/buffing, chemical patination, and industrial lacquers. Supporting categories include welding/soldering rods, gas tank sealers, sandblasting equipment, and restoration chemicals. The company also provides educational resources (online plating classes, video tutorials) and technical web-based calculators. Products are sold primarily as DIY kits with consumer-friendly instructions, targeting automotive restoration, firearms finishing, jewelry making, and industrial maintenance markets. The company operates from Lyons, New York and maintains international distributors in Canada, Australia, and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Casweld™: Low temperature soldering and brazing rods product line including aluminum brazing rods, pot metal soldering rods, cast iron welding rods, and silver solder rods.

Products and services

• Plating Kits (Electroplating Systems) Comprehensive electroplating kit systems enabling users to plate metals including chrome, nickel, gold, silver, copper, brass, bronze, tin, and zinc onto various substrates. Includes tank plating, brush plating, and immersion systems for hobbyists and professional restorers.
• Anodizing Kits Aluminum anodizing systems for creating decorative and protective oxide coatings that can be dyed in various colors. Includes Standard, Deluxe, Hardcoat Type III, and Titanium/Niobium anodizing kits for hobbyists and small shops.
• Black Oxide Kits Steel and iron blackening systems including room temperature and hot application variants. The Caswell Mega Black line enables worldwide shipping with no dangerous fumes or corrosive chemicals.
• Caswell Epoxy Gas Tank Sealer Two-part phenol novolac epoxy sealer for permanently repairing steel, aluminum, fiberglass and plastic gas tanks. Bonds to rusty surfaces with up to 3000 PSI strength and resists ethanol fuels, solvents, and oils. Used by classic car and motorcycle restoration customers.
• Polishing and Buffing Supplies Complete metal polishing systems including buffing machines, wheels (cotton, sisal, felt, denim), buffing compounds, greaseless compounds, sanding supplies, and vibratory tumblers for achieving high-gloss finishes.
• Casweld Soldering and Welding Rods Low-temperature soldering and brazing rods including Casweld PM (pot metal), AL (aluminum), CI (cast iron), and CIS (cast iron to steel) variants. Includes flux products and Keep Kool heat-sink putty for repairs that traditional high-heat methods cannot achieve.
• Permalac Lacquers Industrial-grade lacquers including Original (direct-to-metal clear coat), NT (ultra-low VOC variants), and SR (scratch resistant) formulations for durable long-lasting finishes on metal and other substrates.
• Cerakote Firearm Coating Ceramic-based firearm coating systems for durable, heat-resistant finishes on guns and firearm components, sold to firearms industry professionals for gun metal bluing, Cerakote coating, and general firearm refinishing.
• Commercial Plating Systems Industrial-scale plating equipment including 20-gallon and 30-gallon rectangular tanks, barrel platers, and heavy-duty rectifiers (up to 1000 Amp DC Rectifier) for commercial production operations and small-to-medium metal finishing businesses.
• Barrel Plater Automated 4" x 4" barrel plating system for high-volume batch plating of small parts, manufactured by Sterling Systems, designed for commercial plating operations.
• Online Plating Classes Educational video-based training courses teaching electroplating techniques, anode placement, and electroless nickel processes, enabling customers to develop skills to use Caswell products effectively.
• Caswell Science Kits Educational electroplating kits designed for classroom and science education use, introducing students to electrochemical metal deposition principles.
• Pen Plating Machine Portable brush plating machine for selective electrodeposition without immersion tanks, enabling users to plate small or localized areas without the cost or complexity of full tank plating systems.
• USB Brush Plating Power Supply Kit USB-powered brush plating power supply kit designed for portable plating applications where mains power is unavailable.
• 3D Printed Parts Plating Kit Electroless plating kit designed for coating 3D printed parts made of PLA, ABS, PVA, Nylon, and other common 3D printing materials to add a metallic finish.
• Black Oxide Concentrate (55 Gallon) 55-gallon drum black oxide concentrate formulated for large-scale industrial blackening operations of steel and iron parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phenol novolac gas tank sealer provides up to 3000 PSI bond strength
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Caswell CanadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized international distributor for Canada. Located at 5914 Wellington Rd 123, Palmerston, ON N0G 2P0. Phone: 519-417-4867 or 855-317-4867. Handles dangerous goods shipping and compliance for Canadian customers.
• Caswell AustraliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized international distributor for Australia. Located at 51 Elm Park Drive, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria 3029. Phone: +61 3 9741 7103. Provides faster shipping and local availability for Australian customers.
• Surface MonkeyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized European distributor covering United Kingdom market. Website: caswelleurope.co.uk. Phone: +44 3304008855.
• Anvil EuropeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized European distributor covering Spain and surrounding regions. Located at C/Enric Morera, nº 33, 08243-Manresa, Spain. Phone: +34 938743384.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Electrochemical Products Inc (EPI): Manufacturer of electroless nickel, black oxide, and other metal finishing chemistries serving both industrial and smaller commercial customers. Directly comparable chemistry portfolio to Caswell's plating kits at the prosumer/SMB tier.
• Brownells: Major firearms-focused retailer selling gun bluing, Cerakote, refinishing, and metal finishing products. Highly comparable to Caswell's firearms finishing segment with similar DTC e-commerce model and prosumer customer base.
• Birchwood Casey: Manufacturer of gun bluing, metal finishing, and firearms care products including Tru-Oil and Brass Black. Comparable to Caswell in metal blackening/finishing chemistry with strong brand recognition among restorers.
• Eastwood Company: Direct-to-consumer retailer of automotive restoration DIY products including coatings, rust solutions, and metal finishing supplies. Closely comparable to Caswell in hobbyist/SMB customer focus and DTC e-commerce motion, but with broader automotive restoration breadth.
• Kleer-Flo Company: Industrial cleaning, metal prep, and finishing chemical manufacturer. Comparable to Caswell in metal surface treatment chemistry and small-to-mid commercial customer base.

Broad incumbents

• MacDermid Enthone (Element Solutions): Large diversified electronics and industrial surface finishing solutions provider. Comparable to Caswell in plating chemistry scope but serves global industrial OEMs rather than DIY customers.
• Technic Inc. Manufacturer of specialty plating chemistries, including precious metal plating (gold, silver) and PCB processes. Overlaps directly with Caswell's gold/silver plating kit line but primarily serves industrial electronics customers.
• Henkel: Global adhesives, sealants, and surface treatment chemical supplier with significant metal finishing footprint. Comparable chemistry overlap to Caswell but at industrial scale and broader end-market coverage.
• Atotech (MKS Instruments): Global leader in surface finishing chemistry for electronics, automotive, and industrial markets. Overlaps Caswell in plating chemistry but at industrial scale across many geographies and end-markets.

Emerging players

• Caswell Science / SkyGeek / SkyMark Refinish: Specialty aviation and industrial finishing products retailer serving prosumer and small commercial customers. Comparable DTC distribution model and prosumer customer focus with some overlap in coatings and surface finishing categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/caswellplating
• Instagraminstagram.com/caswellplating
• Xx.com/caswellplating
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nickel-plating-products

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 Caswell