- Introduction from
Dave Doherty - Company
History - Statistics
& Surveys - Digi-Key Links
& Resources - Quality
& Compliance
A Message from the President
Digi-Key is one of the fastest growing distributors of electronic components in the world.
Since its founding in 1972, Digi-Key has been committed to offering the broadest selection of in-stock electronic components, as well as providing the best service possible to its customers, aiding engineers through the entire design process, from Prototype to Production®. This has led the company to be highly ranked year after year in industry surveys, in North America as well as Europe and Asia, in categories covering such facets of business as availability of product, speed of service, responsiveness to problems, and more.
Our top rankings in so many categories prove we are customer-driven. Our service and support systems have been specifically designed to respond to the needs of our customers. These systems are continually reviewed and modified to respond to changes as we work to achieve the "ultimate" level of customer service.
Digi-Key is unique in many ways that translate into better service for you, our customers.
1. Authorized Distribution
- Digi-Key is an authorized distributor of electronic components for more than 750 industry-leading suppliers. This means Digi-Key customers can rest assured that the product they order is authentic and comes to Digi-Key directly from the manufacturer.
- In an effort to educate customers and significantly decrease the amount of counterfeit product on the market, Digi-Key gained membership in ECIA (Electronic Components Industry Association) in North America, ECSN (Electronic Component Supply Network) in the United Kingdom, and CEDA (China Electronics Distributor Alliance) in China.
2. Breadth of Product
- At any given time, more than 1,000,000 products are in stock and ready to be shipped from Digi-Key’s headquarters in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, USA. That means there are no lead times for in-stock products.
- Having so many products in stock in our expandable distribution space of more than 700,000 square feet (65,032 square meters) allows us to ship 99% of all orders the same day they are placed. On average, Digi-Key ships nearly 15,000 orders per day.
3. Support/Resources
- Whether you need assistance finding the right part or recommendations for your design, Digi-Key’s Customer Service, Applications Engineering, and Technical Support teams and resources are at your disposal 24 hours a day, seven days a week via telephone, or e-mail.
- Additional resources include PTM® product training modules, TechZoneSM technology zones, Browser Resources, Mobile and Social Center, white papers, datasheets, and more.
- Digi-Key's Production Business and Supply Chain Management services are available to help customers get their jobs done and get their products to market quickly and efficiently.
Digi-Key's website is the top-rated and most-visited website in the electronic distribution industry. Content and services we offer on our website continue to rapidly evolve, and we are committed to providing you with full access to Digi-Key's products and services through the Internet.
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Thank you for choosing Digi-Key.
Dave Doherty, President
Digi-Key Company History
Digi-Key is one of the fastest growing distributors of electronic components in the world.
It was Dr. Ronald A. Stordahl's interest in ham radio that provided the springboard for what has become Digi-Key today.
While in college he assembled and began selling a digital electronic keyer kit for sending radiotelegraph code for ham radio operators. It was called the Digi-Key.
After obtaining his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Stordahl returned to his hometown of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The keyer kit was discontinued and he began selling electronic components in 1972. The Digi-Key "keyer" is long gone, but Digi-Key has become one of the fastest growing electronic component distributors in the world. We continue to operate on the premise of providing our customers – you – with superior service, focusing on the key areas of product selection, product availability, on-time delivery, and responsiveness.
From the start, Digi-Key used direct marketing as its exclusive means of reaching potential customers. In its first ten years, marketing efforts were focused on the electronic hobbyist. Then, in 1982, the company began directing catalog mailings to the commercial market. As a result, the commercial user has grown from 20 percent of total business to more than 98 percent.
Over the years, Digi-Key has done business with some interesting customers. Components purchased from Digi-Key are found in satellites orbiting the earth. We've sold components to Paramount Pictures for use in science fiction movies. Barry Goldwater once purchased a digital clock kit. Disneyland and the Space Agency are also included on our customer list. In fact, 99 of the top 100 electronic companies in the United States have done business with Digi-Key.
In just a few short years, Digi-Key moved from being the 16th largest to the 4th largest among the more than 300 electronic distributors in North America. Today, Digi-Key is the 4th largest electronic component distributor in North America and the 6th largest worldwide. It is Digi-Key's customer-centered business philosophy that continues to drive the company's rapid growth.
"The good idea still remains," according to Stordahl, "Along with a great group of people dedicated to providing the best possible service to our customers. Service is the key."
Industry Survey Results/Methodology
The 12th Annual Supplier Interface Study describes the profile of today’s engineers, how they work and what sources they rely on for the timely, design-critical information and education they need. The survey objective is to better understand engineers’ need for product information and other services, how and when they interface with suppliers and their evaluation of the interaction.
Based on the study's results, Digi-Key was the highest ranked distributor in "Top-of-Mind Association" across a variety of categories, including:
- #1 for Semiconductors
- #1 for Interconnects
- #1 for Passives
- #1 for Electromechanical Components
- #1 for Power Supplies
- #1 for Test and Measurement Equipment
- #1 for Broadest overall product selection
- #1 for Parts in stock available for immediate delivery
- #1 for Consistent on-time delivery
- #1 for E-Commerce/on-line buying
- #1 for Website that is easy to navigate
- #1 for Data and product selection support
- #1 for Website with valuable content for design support
- #1 for On-line seminars, technology, education and training
- #1 for Competitive prices
Methodology:
AspenCore Group's study gathered information from engineers regarding their need for product information and other services as well as how and when they interface with suppliers and how they see the quality and value of that interface. Data collected via web survey, April/May 2017, with 1,045 responses received from North America (confidence level +/- 2.5%).
Electronic Specifier is Europe's premier publisher of information resources to the Global Electronics Industry, with a portfolio that includes 6 magazines in 3 languages as well as 15 websites and vertically targeted microsites across 6 languages. The Electronic Specifier audience members were surveyed to identify distributors with whom they have done business and to capture their performance ratings across several business-related and technical support factors.
Digi-Key was a "factor leader" across a variety of categories:
- Overall performance
- Breadth of product line
- Availability of product
- BOM (Bill-of-Materials coverage)
- Supply chain services
- Global distribution services
- Customer service
- Accuracy of orders
- Correct documentation with orders
- Range of value-added services
- Prototype and design
- Availability of leading edge technology
- Active components
- Passive components
- Connectors
- Useful website
- Value of overall content
- Value of technical information
- Product search engine
- Product ordering mechanism
- Ease of navigation
- Organization of site
- Access speed
Methodology:
Electronic Specifier collected data March 3-14, 2017, with three email reminders and 347 completed respondent surveys across a total audience population of 65,000, +/- 5.2% at the 95% confidence level; i.e. an accurate and reliable portrait of the Electronic Specifier audience’s attitudes and perceptions regarding distributors.
Resources & Links
Need more info about Digi-Key? Find it all here from press releases, events and contact information to educational resources, videos, and more.
News & Events
Connect
Educational Resources
My Digi-Key
Additional Info
- Counterfeit Policy
- Environmental Policy and Activities
- International Websites
- Quality Statement
- Site Map
Contact Digi-Key
Quality
Registrar: SAI Global
VP, Operational Excellence: Teri Ivaniszyn
Calibration: Traceable to NIST
Compliance
Labor Surplus Area Concern
Pennington County is not a labor surplus area.
Affirmative Action Compliance
Digi-Key Electronics does have certified an affirmative action plan as required by FAR 52-22-26.
Employment of Vietnam-Era Veterans
Digi-Key Electronics complies with all applicable provisions in regard to the employment of Vietnam-Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.
Employment of Disabled Individuals
Digi-Key Electronics complies with all applicable provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Certification of Non-Segregated Facilities
Digi-Key Electronics does not and will not maintain or provide for its employees any segregated facilities. It does not and will not permit its employees to perform their services at any location under its control where segregated facilities are maintained.
Standard Form 100 (EE0-1) Reports
Digi-Key Electronics annually files form 100 with the Federal Department of Labor.
Clean Air and Water Certification
Digi-Key Electronics is not listed on the Environmental Protection Agency list of violating facilities or any other list of violators.
Drug-Free Workplace Certification
Digi-Key Electronics has a drug-free policy statement.
Digi-Key Fast Facts
Annual Sales: | $2.33 billion plus |
Number of Employees: | 4,000 plus |
Facilities: | More than 1 million square feet |
Products Stocked: | 1.5 million plus |
Manufacturers Represented: | 750 plus |
Internet Orders/Year: | 3.5 million plus |
Telephone Calls/Year: | 2.9 million plus |
Orders Processed/Year: | 4.3 million plus |
Customers Served/Year: | 474,000 plus |
Sites Served/Year: | 641,000 plus |
Orders Shipped Same Day: | 99.9% |