Duke Manufacturing Co. designs and manufactures commercial foodservice equipment for major restaurant chains, schools, and institutions. It is one of the 150 largest privately held companies in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] The company has two Missouri manufacturing facilities, located in St. Louis and Sedalia, and distribution and service centers in Exeter, Prague, and Shanghai.
History
In 1925, Marsh P. Duke founded Duke Manufacturing Co. in St. Louis, Missouri. The original building was at almost the exact location where the Gateway Arch now stands. After only two years, the need for more space forced the company to move to a larger building two miles north.
During World War II, Duke produced galley equipment for Landing Ship, Tanks, which transported troops and supplies around the world. The company was honored with the Army-Navy "E" Award for excellence in the production of war equipment. Employees were recognized, as well, with their own "E" emblem pins to wear. Less than 4% of companies engaged in war work were given this honor.
Duke entered research and development partnerships with multinational restaurant chains in the late 1990s. These agreements produced innovative and energy-efficient serving and cooking equipment.