Demco


Demco, Inc. is a Madison, Wisconsin-based supplier of equipment, furniture and supplies to libraries and schools.

History

Demco was created in 1905 by Madison's Democrat Printing Co. as its Library Supplies Department, with a focus on printing forms for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library.
Norman D. "Smiley" Bassett bought the company in 1931 and renamed it Demco Library Supplies, Inc. "A hallmark of Bassett’s leadership of one of the nation’s premier library supply companies was his close relationship with the library community and his commitment to helping libraries carry out their mission more effectively." Bassett controlled the company until his retirement in 1972, when Demco was sold to George Banta Co. of Menasha, Wisconsin.
A few years later, John E. Wall, who had become Demco's president in 1968, took ownership of the company. Since 1978, Demco has been owned by Wall Family Enterprise, Inc., a privately held company controlled by Wall's family and also based in Madison.

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