Northwest Aerospace News June | July 2019 Issue No. 9 | Page 42

M
att Roberts is in the
corrosion business — corrosion
that is meticulously controlled
and measured against the highest
standards in the aerospace industry.
Apex Anodizing, which he launched
in 1995, does its work using vats
of acid and abrasive blasting to
deliver surfaces for its clients that
are strong, durable, lightweight and
aesthetically pleasing.
“Anodizing is like controlled
rusting,” explained Jamie Olson,
the company’s vice president of
sales. “You force corrosion to occur,
opening up the pores in an aluminum
surface so that it can absorb dyes,
while also making it harder and
inhibiting the flow of electrical
current.”
In total, Apex offers its customers 15
different types of surface treatments:
anodizing, of course, but also chem
film, nickel plating, zinc plating,
grit blasting and shot peening,
as well as powder coating and
conventional paint. The company
has three locations, two in Portland,
Oregon and one in Sparks, Nevada.
It employs 86 people, although
Roberts believes it will be more
than 100 by the time the company
celebrates its 25th anniversary next
year.
“We’re projecting revenue growth of
25 percent above where we were last
year,” said Roberts. “The aerospace
industry is very busy at this point,
and we just keep training our
employees for the possibility that we
will grow even more.”
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS