Remembering Shirish Desai: The Automation Pioneer Who Helped Shape Silicon Valley Finishing
We honor the life and legacy of Shirish Desai, co-founder of CSL Inc., whose breakthroughs in automation and tireless state lobbying left a permanent mark on Northern California’s finishing industry.
In early 1986, Shirish Desai and Naishadh (Nish) Saraiya partnered to purchase “A to Z Plating,” a modest local shop named for its core offerings: Anodizing and Zinc. Recognizing the rapid evolution of the surrounding region, the partners rebranded the company as CSL Inc. and set out to reshape the business in the image of Silicon Valley—redefining the traditional shop through an intense focus on engineering, rigorous quality standards, and advanced automation.
Prioritizing worker safety and environmental stewardship, the partners made the critical decision early on to eliminate their cyanide-based zinc plating line. In its place, they pioneered advanced capabilities tailored to the region’s booming tech sector, including Electroless Nickel plating and industry-first cleaning and cleanroom packaging services designed specifically for semiconductor equipment manufacturing.
Thanks largely to Shirish’s expertise in system automation, CSL Inc. grew into a premier industry leader. By the time the partners retired in 2011—exactly 25 years after taking the helm—CSL offered more than 60 specialized processes and served as a critical supplier to the defense sector and giants like Applied Materials.
Beyond the shop floor, Shirish was a dedicated champion for his peers. As an active member of the Metal Finishing Association of Northern California (MFANC), he served on the legislative review team, analyzing annual environmental regulations and actively lobbying at the state level to protect and advance the surface finishing industry. His engineering legacy and advocacy leave a lasting mark on the Silicon Valley manufacturing community.
