Cameo Metal: Ready, Set, Grow

Cameo Metal Products Inc. is a privately-owned manufacturing business that has managed to modernize and grow while maintaining the principles of personalized service and quality upon which it was founded.

Antonino Di Maio and his wife, Catherine, began the business in 1970 in Brooklyn, NY, to provide finishing for metal components for fine writing implements as well as miscellaneous parts for lighting fixtures. Both Di Maios are still active in the company’s operations and have been joined by son Vito Di Maio, who serves as executive vice president, and grandson Anthony, head of marketing.

While the company still serves the writing implement business, a project for Revlon in the late 1970s—finishing a metal mascara cap—began a relationship with the fragrance and cosmetics industry that has grown and prospered ever since.

First as a sub-contractor for other component suppliers and now as a major supplier of metal shells destined to be caps, collars and containers, Cameo Metal has built a business and a reputation based on quality manufacturing and service. “We have always filled a need for high grade finishes, buffing, polishing and painting,” said Vito Di Maio. “We can take a raw component and turn it into a jewel.”

Growth Through Acquisition

In 1985, seeking to control its supply of metal components, Cameo acquired Watertown Metal Products in Connecticut, the first of a number of moves to expand. With the need to purchase more advanced equipment, the company consolidated all its manufacturing in a plant in Wolcott, CT.

After about six years, Cameo outgrew the Connecticut location and moved first to a plant in West Paterson, NJ. With the luxury of a larger facility, Cameo acquired some of the assets of Riverside Creative Products, another supplier to the cosmetics industry, according to Vito Di Maio. Then, to start the new millennium poised for growth, in January 2000 Cameo opened a new facility in Rahway, NJ to serve as its manufacturing base. Soon after this move, the company acquired Roberts Eyelet, another manufacturing company to continue to improve and expand its capabilities.

“Our capacity has more than tripled to supply the cosmetics and fragrance industries,” said Robert Geddis, senior vice president of operations, adding, “About 80 percent of our business is related to the beauty business, but we are making an effort to make our presence more known and to diversify.”

Forming Metal with Deep Draw Process

Manufacturing of metal shells is done at the Rahway location but the finishing continues to be done at the original Brooklyn facility on proprietary machinery designed and built by founder Antonino Di Maio.

The shaping of the metal takes place on Eyelet Transfer presses in a process called “deep drawing” in which a coil of metal is cut and fed through a series of dies and punches. The metal is blanked, cupped, drawn and redrawn into finished shells. The presses can accommodate long and short runs and can shape steel, stainless steel, brass and copper, in addition to aluminum, which is used most often in the HBA market.

Being service oriented, Cameo has equipment to create the most miniature components from .020” in diameter to large diameters of 4”. The company’s range of machinery allows it to deep draw shells from .050” long to 3.5” long in various diameters. A large tool crib stores over 600 sets of tooling to produce all types of metal components for the industry.

“Creating a straight shell from design forward can take as little as two weeks or as many as 12 weeks, depending on complexity,” said Geddis.

“To serve a customer, we’ll set up to run below our minimum quantity,” Vito Di Maio said. “And we’ll sell a single carton from stock if it’s available.”

Adding the Finishing Touch

Once the shells are fabricated, they are sent to the New York facility to be finished according to customer specs.

The shells are cleaned to remove all lubricants from the surface, then moved to a buffing stage to be polished to a high luster with a chromium oxide compound. After buffing, components must be cleaned again in an ultrasonic degreaser to remove all residue of buffing compound before they are lacquered to protect the finish. The lacquer coating can also add color to a component. After the lacquer coating, the piece is then cured in high temperature Lears (ovens).

Cameo has capabilities to apply electrostatic spray finishes and can create a range of simulated looks including hammer tones, wood grains, leather, suede and velvet (soft touch). It also offers other complete decorating services including hot stamping, pad printing and silk screening. Components can be further customized with the company’s engraving equipment.

When a project calls for some assembly of plastic to metal parts, Cameo can also provide it. The company’s high speed assembly lines can process over 500,000 pieces daily.

Once the parts are fully finished and assembled, Cameo packs the pieces according to each customer’s request. “We ship all over the world and have an excellent reputation throughout,” stressed Vito Di Maio.

In its 32-year history, Cameo has expanded and reshaped its identity to that of an international supplier for the global cosmetic, fragrance and personal markets.