Sharretts Plating Announces Strategic Expansion to Advance Wafer-Level Metallization Capabilities

York, Pennsylvania — April 13th, 2026 — Sharretts Plating Company (SPC), a leader in advanced metal finishing and engineered surface solutions, today announced an initiative to develop and scale wafer-level electroplating and electroless plating capabilities.

This initiative represents a significant step in SPC’s expansion into semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing, targeting high-reliability metallization processes used in advanced packaging, interconnect technologies, and specialty wafer fabrication.

As part of this expansion, SPC has brought on semiconductor industry veteran and advanced plating expert John Ghekiere, who brings nearly three decades of experience in semiconductor process development, electrochemical deposition, and capital equipment commercialization. Mr. Ghekiere previously held senior leadership roles at Applied Materials and ClassOne Technology, where he led product and technology strategy across plating, wet cleans, and interconnect processes, including TSV and copper damascene applications. Most recently, as Vice President of Product & Technology at ClassOne Technology, he helped position the company as a competitive force in advanced microelectronics markets, including microLED and high-growth semiconductor segments. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of TechSovereign Partners, where he advises deep-tech companies on execution, commercialization, and operational scale.

Through this initiative, Sharretts Plating will develop:

• Wafer-level electroplating processes for semiconductor metallization
• Electroless deposition solutions for fine-feature and high-aspect-ratio applications
• Integrated wet processing and surface preparation workflows
• Scalable manufacturing architectures aligned with semiconductor fabrication requirements

“This collaboration marks a deliberate move into one of the most technically demanding and strategically important sectors in manufacturing,” said Stephen Sharretts, CEO of Sharretts Plating Company. “John’s deep experience in semiconductor process development and equipment commercialization, combined with SPC’s expertise in precision plating, creates a powerful platform for innovation in wafer-level metallization.”

“Sharretts Plating has the operational discipline and technical foundation required to successfully enter semiconductor manufacturing,” said John Ghekiere. “Our focus is on building robust, scalable plating processes that meet the stringent performance, uniformity, and reliability standards of modern microelectronics.”

The partnership will focus on both R&D and production-scale implementation, emphasizing process control, defect reduction, and repeatability—critical requirements in semiconductor manufacturing environments.

This initiative aligns with SPC’s broader strategic vision to expand into high-margin, technically differentiated markets, including semiconductors, advanced electronics, and precision-engineered components.

This is a meaningful step forward in our strategy to enter high-growth, technically demanding markets where execution, process control, and engineering depth matter most.

More to come as we advance this initiative.