Detecto Scale Company was started in 1900 in New York City by three immigrant brothers (The Jacobs Brothers) in the butcher supply business. The company produced bakers' dough scales, butchers' scales, clinical scales, counter scales and hanging scales. In 1981 the company was acquired by Cardinal Scale Manufacturing Company based in Webb City, Missouri where it's corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are still located today. Cardinal was a well-known name in the heavy-duty truck scale and floor scale market, so the acquisition was a good fit to give the company a complete line-up of scales across a broad spectrum of markets.