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Duchossois Industries, Inc. (DII) is a privately held business formed in 1983 to manage the diversified companies owned by the family. These companies currently consist of The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (residential and commercial access control products), Chamberlain Manufacturing Company (defense products), AMX (command, control and communications products) and Duchossois Technology Partners (early stage venture capital). DII also holds strategic interests in Churchill Downs, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN). DII is a multi-national corporation that carries the strength, respect and financial stability of a billion dollar-plus corporation.
The history of the Company can be traced back to a small rail car repair facility in the south suburbs of Chicago. Founded in 1916 by A.J. Thrall as the Union Wagon Company, the firm sold used and reconditioned rail car components. For the next 30 years, the company continued its modest growth. After WWII, Dick Duchossois and Jerry Thrall joined the organization with Duchossois becoming president in 1952. Under Duchossois’ direction, Thrall began building new freight cars. Thrall continued to grow during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. In 1980 Craig Duchossois became President while Dick Duchossois went to run the recently acquired Chamberlain Manufacturing Corporation. In the early ‘80s Thrall acquired five of its competitors. At its peak in the ‘90s, Thrall operated manufacturing plants in Illinois, Georgia, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic with a capacity of over 16,000 freight cars per year, more than 3,000 employees, and sales in excess of $750 million per year. In 2001, Thrall merged into Trinity Industries and DII became Trinity’s largest shareholder.
In 1906, Andrew Chamberlain started the Waterloo Rope Company, and in 1914 the Company changed its name to Chamberlain Machine Works, later becoming Chamberlain Manufacturing Corporation. The original company made ropes, parts for cream separators, and a variety of consumer products. At the start of World War II, Chamberlain, like many other American companies, halted production of consumer products to focus on national defense supplies. The quality of its products was so high that after WWII, Chamberlain was asked to continue production of defense supplies for the US Army. Today, the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, continues to carry on the Chamberlain Manufacturing defense tradition as the sole source for large caliber projectile metal parts for the U.S. Armed Forces.
In addition to the defense products, Chamberlain resumed making products for the home, such as awnings, carports, aluminum refrigerator shelves and public address systems. The Chamberlain Group (CGI) was created in 1984 as the consumer products division of the Company. Today, The Chamberlain Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of residential and commercial door operators, access control products, and gate operators. Chamberlain’s headquarters has been in the current Elmhurst location since 1967.
DII is also known for its association with Arlington Park, a premier thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Arlington opened its doors in 1927 and, after a devastating fire, Dick Duchossois purchased the property in 1986. In 1989, Dick opened the magnificently rebuilt track to world acclaim. In 2000, Arlington Park merged with Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and DII became Churchill’s largest stockholder.
In March of 2005, DII acquired control of AMX Corporation. AMX is a worldwide leader in advanced control and automation technology for commercial and residential markets. AMX products enable users to centrally manage and control a variety of audio/video, environmental and communications technologies.
And…we are not done yet!