History | Dana Incorporated

Clarence Spicer starts his company on April 1, based on his patented invention of the encased universal joint, in Plainfield, New Jersey.

The first C.W. Spicer "U-joints" are shipped to Corbin Motor Company in Connecticut.

Customer roster grows to include Buick Motor Co., Olds Motor Works, Mack Bros. Motor Co. (later Mack Trucks), Kelly-Springfield Motor Truck Co., and American Motors.

Clarence Spicer's business changes its name to Spicer Manufacturing Company.

Attorney Charles Dana purchases a controlling interest in Spicer Manufacturing Company. Decades later, in 1955, he says, "I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't gone into the Spicer company. Mr. Spicer had a joint that was really wanted by car and truck manufacturers. If it had gone off the market, I sometimes wonder what would have happened to the automotive industry."

Charles Dana becomes president and treasurer.

With an eye on growth beyond universal joints and propeller shafts, Charles Dana completes three big acquisitions of frame, transmission, and axle manufacturers. One of these companies, Salisbury Axle, later becomes the Spicer Axle Division of Dana.

Spicer is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Profits rise considerably due to increased production of automobiles priced under $1,000 and truck demand by the U.S. government.

Spicer begins international operations in England.

Spicer relocates its headquarters and most operations to Toledo, Ohio, closer to Detroit, the center of the automotive world.

The Great Depression and lower vehicle production volumes hit Spicer's sales and earnings. The company returns to profitability in 1933.

Clarence Spicer's last of 40 U.S. and French patents is issued Dec. 20, less than a year before he dies.

Sales of cars, trucks, and buses hit their lowest point in the Depression era, but Spicer remains profitable.

As the U.S. begins war mobilization, the company retools for production of military vehicles and other war materials throughout World War II.

Spicer Manufacturing Corporation is renamed Dana Corporation in recognition of Charles Dana's 32 years of leadership. Spicer becomes the brand name for the company's driveline products.

At its 50th anniversary, Dana employs 3,500 people.

Dana expands international operations to South America.

The New York Times declares Dana's Powr-Lok® differential to be "among the more significant engineering improvements" in automotive history.

Company introduces the first cruise control on 1958 Chrysler models.

Expands business to the heavy truck, off-highway, and farm equipment markets.

Global operations are now located in Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Sweden, South Africa, and Spain.

"Spicer Search" contest seeks the company's oldest transmission still in operation. A 1919 Model 50 Brown-Lipe transmission, still in service on a truck, takes the grand prize.

Dana acquires the Victor Gasket Manufacturing Company.

Charles Dana retires as Chairman and CEO after 53 years of continuous service.

Dana conducts experiments of driveline concepts for electrical vehicles, decades before the production of hybrid and electric cars.

Dana exports products to 123 countries.

Dana breaks the $1 billion sales barrier.

Charles Dana is inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Dana celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Dana rapidly grows in the fields of electronic, mechanical, and fluid power.

Spicer Driveshaft Division develops the industry's first all-aluminum driveshaft.

Dana exceeds $4 billion in annual sales.

Dana acquires the Reinz Company and forms the new Victor Reinz brand for its gaskets, sealing products, and heat shields.

Clarence Spicer is inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Dana has 3,500 employees in Asia; business with Japanese manufacturers alone grows to $240 million.

Dana acquires Plumley Rubber Company in Paris, Tennessee, to bolster its sealing products portfolio.

Dana makes its largest acquisition to date, buying Clark-Hurth Components from Ingersoll-Rand to create the Off-Highway Components Group.

Dana acquires Long Manufacturing (established in 1903), adding extensive thermal-management capabilities.

Spicer Driveshaft Division wins the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Dana receives the Ford Motor Company Citizenship Award in recognition of its minority-development efforts, community support, and environmental initiatives.

Ford honors Dana with a World Excellence Award as one of the company's top suppliers for 2002.

Volvo honors Dana with the Award of Excellence.

GM honors Dana as a 2002 Supplier of the Year for its fuel cell technology.

Dana celebrates its 100th anniversary.

A 180,000-square-foot engineering center opens in Toledo, Ohio.

Dana extends its leadership position in the commercial vehicle driveline market with a 50 percent stake in Dongfeng Dana Axle Co., Ltd., its joint venture in China.

Completes strategic agreement with SIFCO S.A., making Dana the leading supplier of complete drivelines in South America.

Dana introduces Spicer® Pro-40™ tandem drive axles with reduced weight (100 pounds) and improved power density for heavy trucks.

Partners with Bosch Rexroth AG to develop a hydromechanical variable transmission to reduce fuel consumption in off-highway vehicles by as much as 20 percent.

Honored with Frost & Sullivan Best Practice Award for Technology Innovation for the proprietary process behind Spicer® Diamond™ Series driveshafts®.

Dana and Ford are honored with the Automotive News PACE Innovative Partnership Award for bringing the marketplace a thermal technology that improves fuel efficiency by up to 4 percent.

The Dana China Technical Center, a 129,000-square-foot facility in Wuxi, Jiangsu Provence, China, opens.

Dana named to Forbes' list of America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies for 2014.

Dana and Audi are awarded a 2015 Automotive news Pace Innovation Partnership Award for developing Victor Reinz partially coated multi-layer steel valve body separator plates.

Dana opens the Dana Spicer Thailand gear manufacturing facility.

James K. Kamsickas named President and CEO.

Dana Holding Corporation changes name to Dana Incorporated.

Dana named to Forbes' list of America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies for 2016.

Completed acquisition of Brevini Group, S.p.A. power transmission and fluid power businesses for off-highway applications.

Dana breaks ground on new gear manufacturing facility in Europe.

Dana inaugurates new Toledo, Ohio production facility, once home to the original Jeep® Plant.

Dana earns Automotive News PACE Award for multi-layer steel transmission pump gasket.

Dana opens its 16th Chinese facility in Yancheng, producing thermal-management and new-energy solutions.

Dana and Hydro-Quebec announce strategic joint venture, positioning Dana as a leader in power generation and conveyance for electrified vehicles.

Dana earns Automotive News PACE Award for Spicer® AdvanTEK® Ultra™ Axle System.

Dana completes purchase of the drive systems segment of Oerlikon Group. Includes Graziano and Fairfield brands as well as Vocis, Ltd. and Ashwoods Electric Motors.

Dana acquires Nordresa.

Dana recognized by General Motors as a 2019 Supplier of the Year Winner for Driveline Technologies and FCA Supplier of the Year for Value Optimization.

We received more than 20 customer and industry honors in 2020, including being named a World’s Best Employer by Forbes and one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek.

Dana completes purchase of Rational Motion GmbH and PI Innovo to further expand our electrification capabilities and expertise as the only supplier capable of delivering all elements of a complete, fully integrated electrified system across all mobility markets.

President Trump visited Dana Warren, Mich., United States in recognition of the USMCA, a bi-partisan agreement in which Dana was supportive.

Milestone: Surpassed 1 billion customer miles driven with Dana TM4 motors.

Dana committed to reducing its total annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent before the end of 2030.

Dana continued to make substantial progress on its enterprise strategy with the expansion of its e-Mobility offerings, including new high-voltage motor offerings, the founding a motor facility in Amal, Sweden, the launch of production of its commercial vehicle eS9000r e-Axle, and the finalization of the acquisition of Pi Innovo, LLC.

The company also received a number of important awards, including being named a ‘Top Employer’ in Europe and “World’s Best Employer” by Forbes magazine, receiving the inaugural Sustainability Award in Automotive from the ATZ/MTZ group and Roland Berger, and being honored as one of “America’s Most Responsible Companies” by Newsweek for the third consecutive year.

Technology

We earned our eighth Automotive News PACE Award for the complete vehicle integration of e-Propulsion and e-Power Systems.

Sustainability

We accelerated our climate commitments (originally made in 2020) to reduce global Scope 1 and 2 emissions from more than 50 percent by 2030, to more than 75 percent in the same time frame, with an ultimate target of net zero by 2040.

In December, our United States wind facility became operational and is now generating approximately 300,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity annually, offsetting 100 percent of Dana’s emissions from purchased electricity in the United States and Canada.

For the fourth consecutive year, Dana was named among “America’ Most Responsible Companies” by Newsweek and recognized as one of the “2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies®” by Ethisphere.

Commitment to Quality

Dana received 30 customer awards this year across the globe for our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

People Finding A Better Way

We were also recognized around the world as a top employer.

• America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023 – Newsweek

• America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2023 – Newsweek

• Top Employer 2023 in 12 countries, earning a special distinction for our European operations

• Great Places to Work Institute

For the first time, Dana was the title sponsor of the 2022 Dana Open presented by Marathon – one of the longest running and most popular stops on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour.