Dexter history

The first Dexter bull in the United States collected for artificial insemination (A.I.) was Parndon Bullfinch and semen was made available to Dexter breeders in 1968.

The first DAHS Board in 1971 included: Frank Wilhelme - Pres., Tom Morcom - Vice-Pres., Rose VanAken - Corres.

In 1975, a Museum Board was set up to run the Museum and it would report to the DAHS board.

By October of 1976, they had set up the Museum Gift Shop with the following leaders, General Manager - Norma McAllister, Asst.

All seemed to be going very well when in July of 1977, Norma McAllister announced that she was leaving the Society.

By 1979, Nancy VanBlaricum had joined the Museum team helping others work on their Genealogies.

In 1981 Dexter purchased Fre Kote Inc., a plastics release agent firm, and merged it with the Hysol Division.

In 1983 the company acquired Bethesda Research Labs and merged it with the GIBCO Corporation (formerly a wholly owned subsidiary) to form Life Technologies, Inc., whose major product is a DNA-based test to determine the presence of cancer in the cervix.

In 1985 the company launched a two-year restructuring program, New Directions, intended to stimulate productivity and ensure a healthy return on investments.

The purchases of Research Polymers International (RPI), a leading manufacturer of thermoplastic polyolefin compounds, in September of 1986, and Rutland Plastics, a specialty plastics firm, in December of the same year, signaled Dexter's entrance into the high-performance thermoplastics market.

In 1987, the employees of Dexter purchased the company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

Founded in 1767, the firm was owned and operated by members of the same family until 1988.

Then, in 1990, the new leader announced a comprehensive restructuring that would extend from the roster of businesses to operations and even to the corporate culture.

Pictured is the cover from the 1992 event showing the Corn Husk Doll made by Mary Rush and used through the years as the Logo for this event.

The 1993 acquisition of Vernicolor A.G., of Switzerland, helped better position Dexter in the European food packaging market.

In 1994, Fred Chesterley (Llanfair Herd) imported semen from England from a registered polled Dexter bull, Saltaire Platinum.

Established in 1995, HiSpec designs and provides aluminum and steel wheels, tires, and related accessories to the RV, trailer and transportation industries.

The DAHS board in 1999 included: Pres. - Fay Knapp, Vice-President - Gil Campbell, Immediate Past-President - Dilys Wiseley, Rec.

Our first acquisition occurred in 2000, when both Century Laundry Distributing and Dexter Financial Services were acquired.

In 2006, Apache Stainless was acquired and Dexter Apache Holdings, Inc. was formed.

Dexter Axle successfully completed the ISO 9001:2008 certification process, confirming Dexter's commitment to quality and their customers.

On Thursday, March 15, 2012, Dexter was struck by a large EF3 tornado causing substantial damage to local houses and businesses.

At the end of 2013, Dexter Axle acquired Unique Functional Products (UFP), a leading innovator and provider of trailer axles, brake systems, and components to the recreational boating trailer market.

On November 20, 2014, the Village of Dexter officially became a city after its new voter-approved Charter was filed with the State of Michigan's Office of the Great Seal.

DexKo Global was formed at the end of 2015 through the combination of Dexter and AL-KO Vehicle Technology.

In 2018, Dexter Services was formed to serve as the holding company for our various service-oriented businesses, which are primarily focused on serving multiple segments of the commercial laundry market.