Worcester Manufacturing

Worcester Manufacturing has continually evolved since 1938, starting out in downtown Worcester as Independent PlatIng. Beginning with just one employee, the company offered plating and specialty coating. A streak of steady growth necessitated moving in the 1950s to one of Worcester's first industrial access areas—a move that increased facility space for future growth, while also providing more convenient commercial traffic access.  In the late 1950s, Independent Plating purchased the business and capabilities of a dinette furniture company and launched a 2nd division, Worcester Chrome Furniture, increasing capabilities to include complete metal part/product manufacturing. In the 1960s, the company purchased Ivy League School Furniture and later, Baby Hood Manufacturing, combining the assets of these two metal furniture businesses to further expand Worcester Chrome Furniture's capabilities for making commercial, industrial, medical, and school furniture frames.  In 1985, current President and CEO Charlie Flanagan purchased Independent Plating/Worcester Chrome Furniture, placing them under a newly-formed corporate umbrella—Worcester Manufacturing, Inc. With a goal of offering unmatched metal fabrication quality and value in the U.S.A., Mr. Flanagan continued to grow the company’s turnkey fabrication capabilities. Over the last decade, Worcester Manufacturing acquired additional companies: Garriepy Plating, Brunnel Plating, Travers Welding, and Standard Plating, expanding fabrication and finishing capabilities to include Zinc Barrel Coating, Electroless Nickel Plating, Hard Chrome Plating, Specialty Welding and greater Secondary Operations.  Over the past 75-plus years, Worcester Manufacturing has grown to approximately 50 employees strong and today is a 100% Employee Owned (ESOP) corporation. This forward thinking structure and carefully controlled growth reflect the company's philosophy to always be “big enough to get the job done—and done right,” yet manageable enough to control overhead cost and monitor quality through every phase of the metal component manufacturing.