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IN A niche
Miguel Ramos transfers a rack of aircraft parts between vats of solutions during the nickel-plating process. (BOB MACDONNELL / February 4, 2008)
By JANICE PODSADA | Courant Staff Writer
February 6, 2008
WEST HARTFORD - Under the fluorescent lights inside Har-Conn Chrome Co., a 40-pound steel disk that will become part of a Pratt & Whitney aircraft engine glows eerily.
"The nickel-cadmium coating we put on it gives it that greenish sheen," said Tim Backus, 40, the company's president and one of its third-generation owners. "It makes it corrosion-resistant."
Backus describes his family's metal-finishing business as "the forgotten link in the aerospace industry."
- AUDREY SHREEVES, an employee at Har-Conn Chrome Co., places small Sikorsky helicopter parts on a rack so they can be anodized at the company plant in West Hartford. (BOB MACDONNELL / February 4, 2008)
A steel spring may be perfectly machined to a helicopter company's specifications, but without the necessary chrome plating, it won't wear well.
Without a thin coating of nickel-cadmium, an engine spacer will corrode. And a simple engine screw that hasn't been silver-plated will seize under high temperatures and become impossible to unscrew.
"We put the heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant coatings on machined parts destined for the aerospace industry," said Backus, whose father, Kent, 63, is the company's chief executive officer and whose cousin, Daniel Backus, is vice president.
Founded in 1948 by Tim Backus' grandfather, Joel, Har-Conn Chrome originally chrome-plated everything from machetes to motorcycle parts.
Then, while taking college classes, Joel Backus met some aerospace engineers searching for a company that could provide metal finishing services. So since the mid-1950s, Har-Conn has been providing those services to the aerospace industry.
Last year, Har-Conn, which operates round the clock in three shifts, had $12 million in revenue, Backus said. Located at 603 New Park Ave., Har-Conn now occupies several buildings whose square footage totals 40,000 square feet. The company is now betting that the demand for larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft will dramatically boost aircraft construction.
"In the next 20 years, 28,000 aircraft are going to be built," Backus said, citing a study the company conducted. "That's more than has been built to date, and that's just commercial airplanes. That's not counting military aircraft or the number of smaller planes.
"We're in a unique situation. Worldwide, there are only a handful of special metal finishers like us."
But the prospect of increased production had Har-Conn's owners asking: "Should we stay where we are, or grow?" Backus said.
The decision?
"We're investing heavily," Backus said.
The company recently purchased a 20,000-square-foot facility, a former construction supply company at 593 New Park Ave., which it is renovating.
Since entering the aerospace industry in the 1950s, Har-Conn has grown, one annex, one process at a time. In 2001, a fire in the silver-plating room shut down the company for a week. In the aftermath, a new wing was added and the shop was rewired.
Despite its piecemeal growth over the years, workers are bumping elbows.
"In 2005, we had 65 people working here. Now we have 97 people," Backus said. "We're kind of crowded in here."
On a recent morning, Easton Redway, who has worked at Har-Conn for 26 years, slowly lowered a 40-pound engine housing, which was suspended by a pulley, into a chromic-anodize solution.
Once the part disappeared into the 4-foot-square vat, Redway turned on the electrical current and slowly raised the voltage in the tank to 40 volts.
Variations in current determine the thickness of the plating. For many parts, the final coating can range from .0003 inches to more than .015 inches.
Eventually, Redway and other operators will move into the newly purchased building.
With the added space and changes intended to make the company a one-stop finishing shop, Backus hopes to hire more than 60 workers in the next five years.
"We need inspectors, production people, engineers," Backus said.
Many of the available jobs require only a high school degree.
"You don't have to have a technical background," he said. "Maybe you're just good with your hands. We train our own people, since there aren't many places that teach plating."
"What we do is often the last step in the process," Backus said. "We like to consult with our customers before they start a job."
But that doesn't always happen.
A few weeks ago, a new part — a cover for a nitrogen generator designed to prevent electrical fires — just showed up at the door.
"We had to figure out how to finish it," Backus said.
Once an aircraft part has been machined, it will typically wind its way through a network of specialized subcontractors before it is finally delivered to the prime contractor, the aircraft company.
Its first stop might be at a subcontractor whose job is to heat-treat the part. It's next stop might be a non-destructive tester, a subcontractor who specializes in quality control checks that look for cracks or flaws.
"From there it might come to us for plating," Backus said. "After we're done with it, we might ship it to another company for painting. That's five different purchase orders, five different shippers. We're trying to outfit our new shop so that we can also test, heat treat and paint those parts," Backus said.
"Our goal is to build large enough to house all of our processes."
Har-Conn Chrome Company Appoints Fredrick J. Gariepy, CPE General Manager, West Hartford Facility.
Former Vaupell executive brings more than 25 years of of operational experience to one of the largest independently owned aerospace metal coating firms in the world.
West Hartford, CT – 10/1/2007– Har-Conn Chrome Company (Privately Held) today announced the appointment of Fredrick J. Gariepy to its executive team as General Manager of the West Hartford facility.
The General Manager is a new position for the West Hartford division and Gariepy’s responsibilities include overseeing all operational aspects of the West Hartford facility.
Har Conn has added this position to their West Hartford division and Fred is a veteran in corporate operations,” says Tim Backus”, President. “Fred is very results oriented and has the skill set and business tools that will allow us to continue our growth while developing manufacturing efficiencies and insuring industry standards compliance as well as assisting in achieving our environmental goals.” “Further this will allow me to focus on strategic growth and long term expansion”.
This addition to the management team represents another strategic milestone that strengthens Har-Conn’s position as the industry leader in the metal coatings markets. Gariepy brings more than 25 years of manufacturing and engineering experience in the industry to Har-Conn. He has a unique blend of manufacturing management coupled with a technically strong understanding of engineering principles and machine operations. Previously he has held a broad array of roles with Vaupell, Pro-Corporation PMC, Micron Machine Tools, Steve Industries, and many others.
Gariepy, 47 and a native of South Hadley, MA earned his BS in Industrial Engineering from Worchester Polytechnic Institute in 1981 and complemented that with a Master of Business Management from Cambridge College in 1999.
About Har-Conn Chrome Plating
Since it’s founding in 1948, Har-Conn has become one of the largest independently owned aerospace processing firms in the world. Har-Conn specializes in aerospace and high technology applications of electroplated and related coatings. Har-Conn currently operates two facilities; West Hartford, Connecticut and Fort Worth, Texas. Their reputation for quality and service is outstanding, serving more than 2000 customers worldwide!
Har-Conn’s work is found in such diverse areas as the space shuttle, the missile program, military and commercial aircraft engine, airframe, and landing gear, surgical instruments, computer components, avionics, laser equipment, automotive, and electronic equipment.
Har- Conn applies engineering type electroplated and electroless coatings. Har-Conn also applies dry film lubricants, sprayed high temperature coatings used for corrosion resistance, and chemical conversion coatings. Har-Conn repairs worn or “mis-machined” parts to restore dimensional tolerances. Har-Conn processes very large parts e.g., (jet engine turbine cases and landing gear cylinders), and very small parts e.g., (cobalt X-Ray elements, 1.6 million pieces to the kilogram).
Har-Conn is both NADCAP accredited and a member of SEMA.
For additional information regarding Har-Conn please visit their web site www.har-conn.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Marketing
marketing@har-conn.com
603 New Park Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06110
Tel: 860.236.6801
Har Conn Chrome Plating was a guest at the American Legion Post
Thursday, June 08, 2006
On Saturday evening the 20th of May Har Conn Chrome was a guest at the American Legion Post 163 in Weatherford, TX to greet approximately 300 motorcycle riders enroute from Southern California to Washington DC participating in RFTW XVIII. “RFTW” RUN FOR THE WALL is a group of military veterans who ride their motorcycles annually in support of Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. Their motto is “We ride for those who can’t."
This group of veterans is one of two that departed from Ontario, California on 17 May and rode the “Southern Route on a 10 day trip culminating in their arrival on Memorial Day in Washington DC and meeting up with the second group that rode one they call the Central Route. Along the route additional riders joined both groups.
They then all joined the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom XVIV which numbered 700, 000 strong with their visit to the Vietnam Veteran Memorial in Washington DC.
Among these veterans are also riders that participate in the “Patriot Guard” a diverse group of motorcycle riders that have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. These riders attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission they undertake has two basic objectives.
1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.
2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.
Har Conn presented the riders with a commemorative pin that was designed for Har Conn and in included the US Flag, Har Conn, RFTW 2006 and a paper with the following statement:
Har Conn Chrome Company’s employees extend a welcome home to each of you. We thank you for your service and your many sacrifices and wish you a safe journey in this latest mission. We recognize that your journey takes you to a place that is “More than a Name on a Wall!” All gave some and some gave all! God bless each of you and God bless America.
We look forward to seeing all of the pictures at their web site when it is updated. They you for letting us participate in some very small manner.
www.rftw.org
www.patriotguard.org
Har Conn Chrome Company Names Philip M. Van Guilder Managing director of The Anvil Power Stryke Coatings™ Division.
Former Pandatel, Inc. executive brings more than 30 years of sales experience to one of the largest independently owned aerospace metal coating firms in the world.
West Hartford, CT – June 7, 2006 – Har Conn Chrome Company (Privately Held) today announced the appointment of Philip M. Van Guilder to its executive team as Managing Director of the Anvil Power Stryke Coatings Division™. Van Guilder will spearhead sales strategy and execution of the accelerating sales of the high performance coatings group.
“Har Conn is adding this focus to their commercial products group to complement their existing aerospace and military products divisions’ successes and Philip is a veteran in strategy and partnership relations,” say Tim Backus, President. “Philip is very results oriented and has the skill set and background to help us launch the Anvil Power Stryke Group. With him we expect to realize significant results with our commercial endeavors.”
This addition to the management team represents another strategic milestone that strengthens Har Conn’s position as the industry leader in the metal coatings markets. Van Guilder brings more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience in the industry to Har Conn. Previously he has held a broad array of roles with Pandatel, Inc, Overland Storage, Inc, and many others. He has architected a manufacturer’s sales representative agreement, overseen channel development, and signed many significant OEMs. He was responsible for crafting a company wide electronic pricing system and contact management guide that was implemented by DDC.
About Har Conn Chrome Plating
Since it’s founding in 1948, Har Conn has become one of the largest independently owned aerospace processing firms in the world. Har Conn specializes in aerospace and high technology applications of electroplated and related coatings. Har Conn currently operates two facilities; West Hartford, Connecticut and Fort Worth, Texas. Their reputation for quality and service is outstanding, serving more than 2000 customers worldwide!
Har Conn’s work is found in such diverse areas as the space shuttle, the missile program, military and commercial aircraft engine, airframe, and landing gear, surgical instruments, computer components, avionics, laser equipment, automotive, and electronic equipment.
Har Conn applies engineering type electroplated and electroless coatings. Har Conn also applies dry film lubricants, sprayed high temperature coatings used for corrosion resistance, and chemical conversion coatings. Har Conn repairs worn or “mis-machined” parts to restore dimensional tolerances. Har Conn processes very large parts e.g., (jet engine turbine cases and landing gear cylinders), and very small parts e.g., (cobalt X-Ray elements, 1.6 million pieces to the kilogram).
Har Conn is both NADCAP accredited and a member of SEMA.
For additional information regarding Har Conn please visit their web site www.har-conn.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Marketing
marketing@har-conn.com
603 New Park Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06110
Tel: 860.236.6801
Anvil Power Stryke Coatings™ is a trade mark of the Har Conn Chrome Company.
