About Us

Electroplating was relatively new in 1885, the year Providence Electroplating (then called Providence Electrotyping Works, inc) was founded in a brick building on Pine Street in the city’s historic region. The current owner, Guy Iacobbo,  purchased the company in 1973 from Eric Skogsborg. Since its founding, the company was located on Pine Street but in 2006, the company relocated to  928 Eddy Street. In 2015 the company then moved to Johnston.

While the methods and machinery has changed, the quest for quality service has not abated. Our customers are very demanding – renovators busy at work at Newport mansions are meticulous, so can the countless customers who entrust us with their heirlooms, and not to leave out the small hardware manufacturers who compete with the goods on the shelves of Home Depot and the like.

Before painting a house, a painter performs the time-consuming work of cleaning, sanding, and scraping the wood. Similarly, a refinishing pro will strip, grind, polish, and clean a lamp part or a tea  before electroplating or applying an antique or other finish.

One final word: Beware of so-called ‘bargains.’ Decades ago, there was a sign in the customer area that featured the words “Quality is like oats. To get high quality oats, you must pay a fair price. But if you’re satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse, well, that comes a little cheaper.”