Erie Plating Company
Encyclopedia
Erie Plating Company, named for its location in Erie, Pennsylvania
, specializes in applied electrochemical and mechanical metal finishing
to ferrous
and nonferrous metals, as well as chromate conversion and anodizing finishes on aluminum. The company is ISO 9000
certified for aerospace, military, and industrial metal finishing engineering and quality systems.
and the superintendent of the Lakeside Forge Company was asked by their group of investors to join in starting a metal finishing company that could perform finishing and electroplating for third-party clients. Along with a financier, a technician, and a salesman, he formed the Erie Plating Company, the first electroplating company in Northwest Pennsylvania. Erie Plating Company now serves customers through the Eastern United States.
At the time of the company's founding the electroplating industry was in its infancy. At that time, the company's main focus was in finishing Cast-iron cookware, polishing the chrome on Wood-burning stove
s, and plating metals used in other products like locomotive
s, automobile
s, and icebox
es.
Its facility covering 4000 square feet (371.6 m²), the company remained small but continued to produce throughout the Great Depression
years.
In 1932, Lewis T. Briggs Sr., a part-owner of the Erie Bronze Company, bought out Smith's co-investors and became president of the eight-person company.
During World War II
the Erie Plating Company expanded into plating military components. The main wartime products produced in Erie were bomb fuses, aircraft parts, and communication equipment.
Erie Plating Company again appealed for reassessment, and the issue came to a head on December 17, 1958, during the second hearing on the issue. Addressing the court, Lewis T. Briggs Sr. said:
Two weeks later, the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue rescinded the assessments in total. However, in March 1959, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
issued a law suit against Erie Plating Company. This was the first instance in the 30-year history of the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue in which any state department had countermanded its decision.
Trial began October 10, 1960, and on February 14, 1961, the court presented its decision that the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue was in error, thereby declaring that electroplating is not, in fact, manufacturing, and that therefore electroplaters
are not exempt from Sales and use tax.
In response, Erie Plating Company issued the following statement:
Notwithstanding, Erie Plating Company survived the discriminatory ruling, and chose to retain operation in the state of Pennsylvania.
against the major American cadmium
producers as represented by the Lead Zinc Producers Committee. The accusation was that:
The North American Metal Finishing Society, under the advice of Lewis T. Briggs Jr., urged the United States Tariff Commission to encourage the importation of foreign cadmium to help stabilize the market.
.
Recent products include the chrome plating
on AMSCO operating table handles, gas pump handles at service stations
, auto parts, and components of measuring tools and computers.
, Erie Plating Company provided metal finishing services for the 10,000+ Olympic torches
manufactured by the American Meter Company, also headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania
. Each torch weighed about 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) and was made primarily of aluminum, with a Georgia pecan
wood handle and gold ornamentation.
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, specializes in applied electrochemical and mechanical metal finishing
Plating
Plating is a surface covering in which a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years, but it is also critical for modern technology...
to ferrous
Ferrous
Ferrous , in chemistry, indicates a divalent iron compound , as opposed to ferric, which indicates a trivalent iron compound ....
and nonferrous metals, as well as chromate conversion and anodizing finishes on aluminum. The company is ISO 9000
ISO 9000
The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
certified for aerospace, military, and industrial metal finishing engineering and quality systems.
History
In 1925, Raymond E. Smith, a former metal polisherMetal polishing
Polishing and buffing are finishing processes for smoothing a workpiece's surface using an abrasive and a work wheel. Technically polishing refers to processes that use an abrasive that is glued to the work wheel, while buffing uses a loose abrasive applied to the work wheel...
and the superintendent of the Lakeside Forge Company was asked by their group of investors to join in starting a metal finishing company that could perform finishing and electroplating for third-party clients. Along with a financier, a technician, and a salesman, he formed the Erie Plating Company, the first electroplating company in Northwest Pennsylvania. Erie Plating Company now serves customers through the Eastern United States.
At the time of the company's founding the electroplating industry was in its infancy. At that time, the company's main focus was in finishing Cast-iron cookware, polishing the chrome on Wood-burning stove
Wood-burning stove
For a list of stove types see Stove .A wood-burning stove is a heating appliance capable of burning wood fuel and wood-derived biomass fuel. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal closed fire chamber, a grate and an adjustable air control...
s, and plating metals used in other products like locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s, and icebox
Icebox
An icebox is a compact non-mechanical refrigerator which was a common kitchen appliance before the development of safe powered refrigeration devices.- Design :...
es.
Its facility covering 4000 square feet (371.6 m²), the company remained small but continued to produce throughout the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
years.
In 1932, Lewis T. Briggs Sr., a part-owner of the Erie Bronze Company, bought out Smith's co-investors and became president of the eight-person company.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Erie Plating Company expanded into plating military components. The main wartime products produced in Erie were bomb fuses, aircraft parts, and communication equipment.
Landmark 1961 Pennsylvania Sales and Use Tax Case
In March 1957, an accountant from the Pennsylvania Sales and Use Tax Bureau performed an audit of Erie Plating Company, and retroactively assessed Use Taxes on Erie Plating Company's purchases of supplies. This assessment violated the precedent that, as a manufacturing company, Erie Plating Company was exempt from the tax, and results in double-taxation. That is, the electroplating processes applied to the component parts were taxed, and then the same processes were re-taxed in the sale of the final product. In July, Erie Plating Company filed a petition for reassessment, a hearing was held in January of the following year, and three months later the Bureau reaffirmed its assessments.Erie Plating Company again appealed for reassessment, and the issue came to a head on December 17, 1958, during the second hearing on the issue. Addressing the court, Lewis T. Briggs Sr. said:
Such interpretation [of the Sales and Use Tax Law] is unfair to Pennsylvania industry... because we are competing with electroplaters in OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where no such tax is imposed.
The business of industrial metal finishing in which we are engaged is a highly competitive manufacturing enterprise. The latest published national average of profit for the industry is less than 2% of the sales dollar before federal taxes and we must therefore depend on a large volume with economical operation to keep out of the red. The imposition of a Use Tax on our purchase of supplies and equipment would certainly result in an overall net loss.
Two weeks later, the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue rescinded the assessments in total. However, in March 1959, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is an agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The department is responsible for collecting all Pennsylvania taxes, including all corporate taxes and taxes on inheritance, personal income, sales and use, realty transfer, motor fuel, and all other state taxes...
issued a law suit against Erie Plating Company. This was the first instance in the 30-year history of the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue in which any state department had countermanded its decision.
Trial began October 10, 1960, and on February 14, 1961, the court presented its decision that the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue was in error, thereby declaring that electroplating is not, in fact, manufacturing, and that therefore electroplaters
Electroplating
Electroplating is a plating process in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an electric field to coat an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal...
are not exempt from Sales and use tax.
In response, Erie Plating Company issued the following statement:
In view of the adverse court decision metal finishers throughout the state are now liable for Use Tax dating back to September 1, 1953 plus a 25% penalty plus interest at 6%.
What this means to the metal finishing industry in Pennsylvania is tragic to contemplate. It seems inevitable that some operators will be put out of business --- many, even among the strongest, will be forced to do major refinancing, and not a few are considering moving out of state.
Notwithstanding, Erie Plating Company survived the discriminatory ruling, and chose to retain operation in the state of Pennsylvania.
1963 Erie Urban Renewal Act
In 1963, Erie Plating Company was one of the first companies to embrace the Erie Urban Renewal Act and participate in the Liberty-Sassafras Redevelopment Program, enhancing community business development in the City of Erie Pennsylvania.1972 Fighting against Cadmium Price-Fixing
In 1972, Lewis T. Briggs Jr., as a member of the North American Metal Finishing Society's Strategic and Critical Materials Committee, placed formal accusations with the United States Tariff CommissionUnited States International Trade Commission
The United States International Trade Commission is an independent, bi-partisan, quasi-judicial, federal agency of the United States that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches. Further, the agency determines the impact of imports on U.S...
against the major American cadmium
Cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, bluish-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Similar to zinc, it prefers oxidation state +2 in most of its compounds and similar to mercury it shows a low...
producers as represented by the Lead Zinc Producers Committee. The accusation was that:
No other metal has been so completely controlled by a group of U.S. producers for their own selfish interests [as cadmium has been]. And we find it hard not to suspect that illegal price rigging and manipulative practices are taking place again.
Efforts by the Cadmium Lobby to prevent the importation of cadmium from Japan under the guise of 'dumping' is not only unfair, but constitutes a very obvious sham. Their purpose is most transparent --- by limiting the importation of this critical and strategic material, U.S. cadmium producers would have an even freer rein to control the sale and distribution of this metal.
The North American Metal Finishing Society, under the advice of Lewis T. Briggs Jr., urged the United States Tariff Commission to encourage the importation of foreign cadmium to help stabilize the market.
2000: Erie Plating Company's 75th Anniversary
In September 2000, Erie Plating Company was recognized for 75 years of business in the city of Erie, in a ceremony conducted by Erie Mayor Joyce Savocchio, Erie County Executive Judy Lynch, and Pennsylvania State Governor Tom RidgeTom Ridge
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Ridge is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives , the 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania , Assistant to the President for Homeland Security , and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security...
.
Today
In 2008, Erie Plating Company employs about 125 employees at its 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) central plant, which ranks among the top 40% of the cleanest industrial facilities in the United States according to Scorecard's Environmental Release Survey.Recent products include the chrome plating
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
on AMSCO operating table handles, gas pump handles at service stations
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
, auto parts, and components of measuring tools and computers.
1996 Summer Olympics
For the 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, Erie Plating Company provided metal finishing services for the 10,000+ Olympic torches
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
manufactured by the American Meter Company, also headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. Each torch weighed about 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) and was made primarily of aluminum, with a Georgia pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
wood handle and gold ornamentation.
Awards
- In 1995, Erie Plating Company was titled "Manufacturing Business of the Year" by Gannon UniversityGannon UniversityGannon University is a private, co-educational Catholic university offering associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees, certificates and doctoral degrees and is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon University has an alumni base numbering around 31,500. Current enrollment is 4,238.Gannon's...
. - Lewis T. Briggs Jr. received the "Outstanding Business Person" recognition from the Erie Chamber of commerceChamber of commerceA chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
in 1998. - Erie Plating Company received the City of Erie Pennsylvania's Environmental Award for Waste Treatment in 1999, and an additional 12 month continuous compliance award in 2000.
Leadership
| Start | End | President |
|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 1932 | Raymond E. Smith |
| 1932 | 1967 | Lewis T. Briggs Sr. |
| 1967 | 1991 | Lewis T. Briggs Jr. |
| 1991 | - | David T. Briggs |
Publications
- "Is Electroplating manufacturing? / The Erie Plating Story", self-published 1961
- Article on neoprene control stations for the 1970 edition of the McGraw-HillMcGraw-HillThe McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...
book "Modern Manufacturing" - "Computerizing lab control records & activities", by Tom Luteran, Journal of Plating and Surface Finishing, 2000, Volume 87, No. 11, pp. 15–16