History

In 1943, five young men dreamed of starting their own manufacturing company. They chose to locate it in Plantsville, Connecticut, naming it the General Machine Company. At the conclusion of World War II, these early entrepreneurs took note that many other manufacturing startups were including the term “General” in their name, so the partners shortened the name to GEMCO Manufacturing Co. Inc.

In 1948, after having established themselves in the region as a valued and dependable supplier, GEMCO moved to a larger facility in nearby Southington. For the next 53 years, GEMCO developed a broad customer base that included manufacturers of children’s toys, dart boards, home lighting controls and appliances, electrical connectors and automotive components. These components were manufactured using Fourslide/Multi-Slide machines, an extremely versatile and efficient machine designed specifically to produce custom, precision metal stampings and wire forms.

Many of GEMCO’s customers sought them out when sourcing what they described as “challenging” work. Although there were some “hardware” parts in the mix, a majority of the components GEMCO manufactures have never been considered ordinary or simple.

In the 1980s, GEMCO expanded their manufacturing processes to include power presses. This alternative metal stamping process allowed GEMCO to increase the size, precision and complexity of the custom metal components that they could manufacture. GEMCO was now positioned to assist their customers with expanded capacity, capabilities and in some instances an increased run rate which translated into more competitively priced components.

Over the next 10 years, GEMCO’s designers and toolmakers were able to incorporate tapping, contact insertion and assembly into their fourslide and power press processes, eliminating the need for costly secondary operations, again looking to remain competitive.

In 2001, GEMCO built a 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Southington, Connecticut. This investment provided GEMCO with additional space for expansion as the company worked to secure a position in what was clearly becoming a global economy. 

GEMCO is currently led by President Mark DiVenere, grandson of Dominic DiVenere, one of GEMCO’s five co-founders and the son of Peter DiVenere who led the organization as President from 1986 until 2001. Mark joined the company in 1985, after which he continued to move through the organization with responsibilities both in manufacturing and sales. Mark took on the role of president in 2002.