Digi-Key Electronics celebrated its 50th year in business on April 3. In honor of the milestone, Thief River Falls Mayor Brian Holmer, mayor of Thief River Falls, Minn., proclaimed it “Digi-Key Day in the City of Thief River Falls.” The distributor and digital solutions provider’s team members recognized and commemorated the event during a week-long celebration and at other company events throughout the year.
“As we celebrate this milestone year, we want to thank our team members, customers, partners, suppliers and our Thief River Falls community,” says Dave Doherty, president of Digi-Key. “Our mutual success over these 50 years has been driven by your passion, dedication and loyalty. Together, we’ve grown and excelled, and we know that an even brighter future awaits us all.”
Digi-Key reports that in the early 1970s, Dr. Ronald Stordahl discovered an untapped group of entrepreneurs and inventors, like himself, who shared the need for small quantities of a wide range of electronic components. This demand would ultimately fuel a technology revolution for electronic hobbyists, and later for commercial and industrial customer and markets.
Thanks to the hard work, commitment and entrepreneurial spirit of its more than 5,000 employees worldwide, more than 929,000 customers, more than 2,400 suppliers and myriad of global partners, Digi-Key built on the passion of its founders. After 50 years, Digi-Key distributes not only electronic components, but also provides digital solutions and tools to engineers, designers and makers in more than 180 countries.
In 2022, Digi-Key reached sales of $5.1 billion, processing and shipping more than 6.5 million orders per year worldwide. Digi-Key also recently opened its 2.2 million-square-foot Product Distribution Center expansion (PDCe), one of the largest warehouses in North America, to scale capacity to keep up with skyrocketing demand. The PDCe was designed with growth in mind, allowing plenty of room to expand as order volume continues to rise, as well as increasing the number of new products offered for customers’ design and manufacturing needs.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate Digi-Key’s 50th anniversary in the company’s hometown of Thief River Falls, and we’re proud to see the company grow from humble beginnings into the global leader it is today, while staying committed to its roots and our community,” says Holmer. “As a member of our community, Digi-Key has demonstrated continued support and dedication to hiring locally with more than 4,200 employees from Thief River Falls and the surrounding area. The future is bright for Digi-Key and we can’t wait to see what the next 50 years and beyond have in store.”
