PKG Equipment Inc. was founded on August 12, 1969 by Sam Pontarelli and two other partners who soon sold their shares to Sam in the seventies. PKG started with just three employees in 2300 square feet of space in East Rochester, NY, fabricating metal tanks and racks for the plating industry. National Finishing in Buffalo, NY, was the first customer. Other new customers to follow included Eastman Kodak, Xerox and Bausch & Lomb, who are still customers today.

During the 1970's, PKG continued to grow. The company began fabricating plating equipment using thermoplastics, and purchased European plastic welding and forming machines in the early eighties. PKG was the first company in New York State and the third company in the country to have that technology. PKG began manufacturing turnkey plating systems and had also become a distributor for related equipment.

In the 1980's, PKG Equipment began expanding into other industries by custom fabricating various types of corrosion resistant process equipment. The company started fabricating pharmaceutical skids, tanks for the chemical manufacturing industry and dry process equipment for both batch and material handling. This growth prompted the purchase of a 25,000 square foot building in 1990 in Rochester. In 1995 another 10,000 square feet was added.

PKG continues to look for ways to improve operations & increase its capabilities. In addition to manufacturing, the company offers design, installation and field repair services. In 2000 PKG obtained ASME Code "U" and "R" stamps for pressure vessel fabrication & repairs. In 2005 the company became an authorized Rhino Lining applicator. Most recently, the company purchased a CNC router and a Miller submerged arc welding system that produces repeatable x-ray quality welds.

Today Sam Pontarelli is retired. Three of his children, Stephen, Maria and Carla, own and operate the business which currently has 30 employees. In the past 40 years, PKG has grown from being a regional manufacturer of plating tanks and racks to a well respected manufacturer of wet & dry process equipment with customers worldwide.