Chicago Dial Indicator
Chicago Dial Indicator is a Des Plaines manufacturer serving industrial manufacturers and OEMs globally with dial and electronic indicators, granite stands, and measurement data-collection systems sold through direct and e-commerce channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1932
- HeadquartersDes Plaines, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chicago Dial Indicator does
Chicago Dial Indicator is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer founded in 1932 and based in Des Plaines, Illinois. It supplies industrial manufacturers and OEMs with precision measurement products, including dial indicators, electronic indicators, granite stands, and data-collection systems. The company reports a catalog of more than 400 standard products, custom and special gaging capabilities, NIST-traceable certificates, and compliance with federal specifications.
The product portfolio integrates with Mitutoyo Digimatic, quadrature devices, and Windows 7/8/10 environments. Chicago Dial Indicator sells globally through direct sales and e-commerce, with listed one-time product prices ranging from $60 for cables to $750 for granite bases and $1,200 for data-collection systems. Its disclosed workforce is 1-10 employees; no subscription model, recurring-contract structure, customer concentration, or revenue data is provided.
Chicago Dial Indicator firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chicago Dial Indicator
- Legal name
- Chicago Dial Indicator
- Website
- https://dialindicator.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1932
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Chicago Dial Indicator is a Des Plaines manufacturer serving industrial manufacturers and OEMs globally with dial and electronic indicators, granite stands, and measurement data-collection systems sold through direct and e-commerce channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chicago Dial Indicator industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Measurement Instruments
- NAICS
- Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metrology & Dimensional Measurement (CMMs, laser trackers, gauges, surface/roughness) (IMAGAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Metrology, Inspection & Machine Tool Accessories (CMMs, Probing, Gauging) (IMAHADAK)
Keywords
Where Chicago Dial Indicator is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Plaines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chicago Dial Indicator business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Precision Measurement Instruments: Sale of mechanical dial indicators, electronic indicators, and related measurement instruments. Revenue generated from standard product sales and custom/special gaging requirements including special mounting backs, contact points, and custom mechanical and electronic dial indicators.
- Accessories and Components: Sale of supporting products including probes, readouts, data output cables, mounting backs, spindle weights, data collection software/hardware, thickness gages, lifting levers, and granite stands with parts and accessories.
- Data Collection Systems: Sale of EMS4 multi-gage data collection systems, mux boxes, and associated software for PC-based measurement data aggregation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Granite Bases - Standalone Components |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Columns - Standalone Components |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lifting Levers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Complete Granite Stands - with Arms |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Data Collection Systems |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Data Cables and Accessories |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Probes for EMS4 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Chicago Dial Indicator product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chicago Dial Indicator manufactures and sells precision dimensional metrology instruments, including more than 400 standard mechanical dial indicators and electronic/digital indicators, along with supporting accessories, probes, multi-gage data collection systems, and laboratory-grade black granite comparator stands. The company also offers custom/special gaging solutions for unique dimensional measurement requirements.
Product overview
Chicago Dial Indicator is a precision measuring instruments manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of mechanical and electronic dial indicators, probes, data collection systems, and granite stands. The product line includes over 400 standard mechanical dial indicators and electronic indicators organized into core product categories (Mechanical Indicators, Electronic Indicators, Probes & Readouts, Data Collection Systems, Granite Stands) supported by a full range of Indicator Accessories. The company also provides custom/special gaging capabilities to meet unique requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mechanical Indicators Traditional analog dial indicators for precision dimensional measurement, available in over 400 standard models including Universal Dial Test, AGD Group 1-4 variants, Depth Gages, and Portable Thickness Gages, used by manufacturers and OEMs for quality control inspection.
- Electronic Indicators
Companies that use Chicago Dial Indicator
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chicago Dial Indicator technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Chicago Dial Indicator partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chicago Dial Indicator competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mitutoyo: The global leader in dimensional metrology, manufacturing mechanical and electronic dial indicators, micrometers, calipers, CMMs, and vision-based inspection systems. Directly competes with CDI across CDI's core dial indicator and electronic indicator product lines, but at materially greater scale and with a much broader catalog.
- Gagemaker: US-based manufacturer of precision thread and dimensional gaging instruments, including pitch diameter gages, indicating gages, and specialty measurement systems for oilfield and fastener applications. Gagemaker is comparable to CDI as a small specialty US metrology manufacturer serving demanding OEM customers.
- L.S. Starrett Company: American precision tool and metrology manufacturer founded in 1880, producing dial indicators, micrometers, calipers, gage blocks, and optical comparators. Like CDI, Starrett is a legacy US-based precision measurement brand; it competes directly in dial indicators and granite-based measurement while operating at substantially larger scale.
- Phase II Plus: US importer and manufacturer of precision measurement instruments including dial indicators, electronic indicators, and force measurement tools. Phase II competes directly with CDI in catalog mechanical and electronic dial indicators and is a comparable-sized niche US metrology player.
- Mahr: German precision metrology manufacturer producing dial indicators, digital indicators, calipers, and surface measurement instruments. Mahr is one of the closest European competitors to CDI's mechanical and electronic indicator lines, particularly in industrial quality-control applications.
- Etalon: German manufacturer of precision dial indicators, dial test indicators, and special-purpose gauges. Etalon directly competes with CDI's mechanical and electronic indicator lines in industrial and OEM markets, with comparable specialty positioning and European manufacturing.
- Fred V. Fowler Company: US-based manufacturer and distributor of dimensional metrology instruments including dial indicators, calipers, micrometers, height gages, and bore gages. Fowler is one of the closest direct competitors to CDI by size and product overlap, particularly in the North American replacement and OEM market.
Broad incumbents
- Renishaw: UK-based precision engineering company known for probing systems, laser encoders, and CMM/gauging solutions used in industrial metrology. Renishaw competes with CDI for share of OEM and Tier 1 supplier inspection spend via higher-end probe and encoder products that increasingly substitute for traditional dial indicators.
- Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: Division of Hexagon AB offering CMMs, portable arms, laser trackers, optical comparators, and metrology software, including legacy brands such as Brown & Sharpe. While broader and higher-tech than CDI, Hexagon's portfolio includes the dial-indicator and gage categories where CDI operates, and it competes for OEM inspection budgets.
Emerging players
- Insize: China-based precision measurement manufacturer offering broad catalogs of dial indicators, calipers, micrometers, and digital indicators at price points below CDI. Insize is reshaping the lower end of the dial indicator market and increasingly competes with US specialty manufacturers on price-sensitive replacement business.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Chicago Dial Indicator social profiles
Digital presenceChicago Dial Indicator compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Chicago Dial Indicator financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chicago Dial Indicator leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Chicago Dial Indicator funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chicago Dial Indicator M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chicago Dial Indicator
What does Chicago Dial Indicator do?
Chicago Dial Indicator manufactures and sells precision dimensional metrology instruments, including more than 400 standard mechanical dial indicators and electronic/digital indicators, along with supporting accessories, probes, multi-gage data collection systems, and laboratory-grade black granite comparator stands. The company also offers custom/special gaging solutions for unique dimensional measurement requirements.
Is Chicago Dial Indicator a public or private company?
Chicago Dial Indicator is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Chicago Dial Indicator founded?
Chicago Dial Indicator was founded in 1932. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Chicago Dial Indicator based?
Chicago Dial Indicator is headquartered in Des Plaines, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chicago Dial Indicator make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Precision Measurement Instruments are the primary driver. The others are accessories and Components and data Collection Systems.
Who are Chicago Dial Indicator's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mitutoyo, Gagemaker, L.S. Starrett Company, Phase II Plus, Mahr, Etalon and Fred V. Fowler Company. Broad incumbents are Renishaw and Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. Insize is listed as an emerging player.
Does Chicago Dial Indicator have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chicago Dial Indicator.
What industry is Chicago Dial Indicator in?
Chicago Dial Indicator's product category is Precision Measurement Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAFAD, Metrology & Dimensional Measurement (CMMs, laser trackers, gauges, surface/roughness), with a secondary code of IMAHADAK, Metrology, Inspection & Machine Tool Accessories (CMMs, Probing, Gauging). Its NAICS code is 334513 and its SIC code is 3823.