Ronald Stordahl

Who is Ronald Stordahl?

Dr. Ronald Stordahl is the chief executive officer of electronic component distributor Digi-Key Corporation, located in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. It was Dr. Ronald A. Stordahl's interest in ham radio that provided the springboard for what has become Digi-Key Corporation today. While in college he assembled and began selling a digital electronic keyer kit for sending radiotelegraph code for ham radio operators. It was called the Digi-Key.

After obtaining his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Stordahl returned to his hometown of Thief River Falls. The keyer kit was discontinued and he began selling electronic components in 1972. The Digi-Key "Keyer" is long gone, but Digi-Key Corporation has become one of the fastest growing electronic component distributors in the world. The privately held company has annual sales of over $1.5 billion and employs over 2,400 people. Stordahl founded the company in 1972, beginning with a single employee.

Ronald Stordahl holds the amateur radio callsign AE5E.