ST. LOUIS, MO — Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Co., Inc., recently celebrated its 80th anniversary as a fourth-generation family business.
This milestone is not just about the passage of time; it is a celebration of the people, the partnerships, and innovations that have defined Seiler Instrument’s journey. For eight decades, Seiler Instrument has remained steadfast in their belief that an organization’s true strength lies in the people who support it. Their customers, employees, suppliers, and friends have been the foundation of their success, and this year, as Seiler Instrument celebrates their 80th anniversary, they would also like to take this opportunity to honor and celebrate everyone who helped make this milestone possible.
Seiler has grown into a multi-division company specializing in high precision machining and optical instrument assembly. In addition, Seiler is a distributor of surveying instruments and software, microscopes, and planetarium projectors. Seiler’s corporate headquarters is located in St. Louis, Missouri, with additional Geospatial sales offices in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
Their offices stock a wide variety of technology and supplies for field crews and office needs, including GNSS receivers, robotic and mechanical total stations, scanners, data collectors, lasers, levels, supplies, and more. Seiler Instrument partners with Trimble, Esri, Autodesk, Spectra Precision, Bluebeam, Wingtra, WISPR, DJI, and more. Seiler also has nationally recognized repair centers that can service, repair, and calibrate a contractor’s survey, GIS, and construction equipment.
“80 years is quite the achievement, and for the Seiler family it represents 80 years of successful partnerships and serving our customers with excellence — and trying to have fun while we do it,” said Tom Seiler, Executive Vice President.
| Your local Leica Geosystems Inc dealer |
|---|
| Laser Specialist inc |
He added that the secret to their longevity is that they are a “diversified, multi-generational family business focusing on customer-first while delivering excellence, while also being innovative, productive, and reliable, while making the world a better place every day.”
Tom also mentioned what he believes the company founders would think as they walked around the equipment on display today at the company headquarters. “They would be blown away by the technology and how it has gone from a mechanical, optical world to a digital world," he said. "Our goal now is to connect the physical and the digital worlds, and that is the biggest change since this company first started.”
In 1945, Eric H. Seiler and his wife, Dora L. Seiler, embarked on a journey that would shape the future of precision manufacturing and optical instruments. From a small survey instrument repair shop on Pine Street in downtown St. Louis, Seiler Instrument has expanded into a company that is now celebrating 80 years in business.
Seiler Instrument has remained a family-owned and operated business, with generations of the Seiler family carrying on the tradition. Today, the company is led by Eric "Rick" Seiler Jr., President/CEO; Tom Seiler, Executive Vice President Geospatial and Medical Divisions; and Louise Seiler Schaper, Executive Vice President, Compliance Director, and Planetarium Division Manager. Also instrumental in running the business are fourth-generation family members, Eric Seiler III, Vice President of Survey Sales; Matt Seiler, Vice President of Precision Manufacturing; and Kurtis Schaper, Vice President of Human Resources and Marketing.
| Your local Takeuchi Mfg Ltd dealer |
|---|
| Kirby Smith Machinery |
| Star Equipment LTD |
As Seiler commemorates this milestone, they also celebrate the life of their recent Chairman of the Board, Eric P. Seiler Sr. Eric Sr. passed away peacefully on January 7, 2024, at the age of 95. While his passing is a loss for the Seiler family and the entire organization, Seiler continues to honor his legacy. His leadership propelled the company forward, with a focus on precision, quality, and integrity. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Eric Sr. valued family, teamwork, and community.
Eric Sr. once wrote in his book, "Precision": "We have a wonderful opportunity to leave a legacy to our children in the form of a company that thrives on vision, integrity, skill, hard work, and a spirit of service." That philosophy remains at the heart of Seiler Instrument today, guiding the company into the future.
