De-Sta-Co marks 100 years in business

De-Sta-Co, Auburn Hills, Mich., celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Founded by William H. Roberts in 1915 as the Detroit Stamping Co., the firm initially provided the rapidly growing automotive industry with contract stamping and die and machining services. To help manufacturers hold autobodies and other materials in place on the production line, the company designed and patented the world’s first manual toggle clamp in 1936.

International expansion began in 1958 when the company opened a sales and manufacturing facility in Germany. Four years later, the company was acquired by Dover Corp., and its name was changed to De-Sta-Co.

The firm expanded into the Asian market in 1984 by opening a sales and manufacturing facility in Thailand. After that its growth accelerated through the acquisitions of several companies in the automation, robotics, aerospace, life sciences, and nuclear fields.

The company currently has operations in the U.S., Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Thailand, and the U.K. Its product line includes manual toggle clamps, robotic end effectors, power clamps, and automation tools.