Zinc Die Casting: History of Deco

Deco Products is the largest stand-alone zinc die casting company in the US. Deco was established in 1960 by the Lake Center Switch Company, which was primarily an automotive supplier of dimmer switches and other electronics for automotive. The die casting operations were moved to Decorah, Iowa, which is where they produced die castings, assemblies, and a line of hose clamps. In 1984, the current owners of Deco took full ownership of the company and steered away from the automotive industry and catered toward other industries.

Deco Products is owned by two families, the Hendersons and the Charles. Today, Deco is working with the 3rd and 4th generation owners. Lew Storlie was Deco’s first employee and managed Deco for 50 years until his retirement. His son, Chris Storlie, took over as CEO and has served in that role for the past 10 years. Most of the management team are from Decorah or live in the surrounding areas. Most of our employees stay with Deco and in many cases dedicate more than 30 years of service to the company, creating a close bond between the Deco staff. The reliability and passion from our staff are the reason Deco Products is the largest stand-alone zinc die casting company in the US.

To learn more, visit the Deco Products About Us webpage.