Golden Age for Silver Plater
During the Middle Ages, alchemists worked to turn base metals into gold and discover an elixir to prolong life.
The modern-day alchemists at Cincinnati Plating & Repair Co. breath new life into metal objects that have been broken, bent, mangled or simply worn down by time. Their restoration work prolongs life, too -- the life of gold, brass, nickel, copper -- and especially silver, their specialty.
In the same Over-the-Rhine location since 1925, Cincinnati Plating has thrived primarily through reputation, said new owner Doug Ralston, who bought the company in May. Now he and his sister, Nancy Ralston, whom he brought on board to serve as marketing director, plan to work their own alchemy on the company, with plans for aggressive growth.
Sales reached $750,000 in 2003. Doug Ralston hopes to hit $5 million in annual sales within five years.
The Ralstons think they can get there through a targeted effort that includes doubling their number of silver clinics, where high-end stores around the country host them for two-day events to meet the stores' clients and evaluate their silver items; establishing the company's first marketing plan; and courting more third-party organizations with whom to work.
Cincinnati Plating is not a metal-cleaning firm. It repairs and restores items, pounding out dents or retooling damaged pieces. Broken-off parts can be soldered on and restored. If a part is missing, a replacement can be spun on a lathe. And every item is metal-finished to a high-polish, "mirror" look.
Running the company is a labor of love. Doug worked there for 14 years, starting as an apprentice under the resident silversmith and rising to general manager. After a nine-year hiatus, he was thrilled when the chance came up to buy Cincinnati Plating from owner Chuck Mosher.
The Ralstons have an obvious passion for the items -- from a Russian samovar bearing a tax stamp from the 1890s to an English tureen from the early 1900s, to a set of silver flatware that has been in a customer's family for generations. Some of the beautiful pieces leave Nancy Ralston "feeling ga-ga." And that passion seems to be shared by the 10 employees.
"Our quality control runs throughout the factory," said Doug Ralston. "Anybody can stop a piece at any time without repercussions and say (the work) is not good enough."
That level of concern has to be there, because the items sent in for restoration are usually expensive or have great sentimental value -- or both, said Stan Kittle, owner of high-end jewelry and gift store Newstedt-Loring Andrews in Hyde Park.