What 110 Years of Holland 1916 Looks Like Today

Founded in Kansas City in 1916, Holland 1916 is the parent company of Holland Nameplate, Holland Interface Solutions, and Holland RFID. Together, our businesses supply custom industrial identification, operator interfaces, and RFID hardware to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and distributors.

What connects the printing plates used in catalogs a century ago with RFID tags on today’s heavy-duty lifting equipment? The same Kansas City company. We’ve come a long way from our original engraving shop, adapting as manufacturers developed new ways to identify, operate, and track their equipment.

Today, our three specialized teams help you find practical solutions for everything from permanent metal nameplates to custom touchscreens and rugged asset-tracking systems.

How a Kansas City Engraving Shop Became Holland 1916

Our story began on the top floor of Kansas City’s Western Auto Building. In 1916, Lou Holland established Holland Nameplate & Engraving Co., creating printing plates for national catalogs. The shop developed into a manufacturer of metal identification products as industrial needs changed.

Lou’s family continued the business for decades. Bill Schumacher acquired Holland Nameplate in 1982, bringing experience in metallurgy and manufacturing. In 1995, Mike Stradinger purchased the company and began another period of investment, including quality certification and a move to North Kansas City in 2002.

From there, the product range grew into operator interfaces and RFID technology. We adopted the Holland 1916 name to reflect the group of manufacturing businesses that had developed from the original engraving shop.

The products might have changed considerably since Lou Holland’s day, but our focus on helping manufacturers identify, operate, and manage their equipment has remained consistent. Today, Holland 1916 remains a veteran-owned and operated manufacturing group headquartered in North Kansas City, Missouri.

Meet the Three Specialized Companies Behind Holland 1916

Each Holland 1916 business focuses on a different part of industrial equipment. For you, that can mean access to specialists who know your product requirements without starting a supplier search from scratch each time.

Holland Nameplate

Holland Nameplate produces custom metal nameplates, tags, labels, and control panel components. Its products help manufacturers display model details, operating instructions, safety information, and equipment identification.

If you’re building machinery for outdoor use or demanding industrial settings, choosing the right material matters. The team works with aluminum and stainless steel, and can advise you on marking methods and attachment options based on the conditions your product will face.

Holland Interface Solutions

Holland Interface Solutions makes the components people use to control equipment. These include custom touchscreens, membrane switches, keypads, displays, and graphic overlays.

The team works with manufacturers of medical, food service, fitness, and transportation equipment. Engineers can discuss the way an interface will be used, the space available, and the conditions it needs to withstand.

That early input can help reduce design changes once production starts.

Holland RFID

Holland RFID supplies rugged radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and readers for industrial asset tracking. The hardware helps teams identify equipment and connect an individual asset to its inspection or service records.

In 2024, we sold our RFID software business and acquired an RFID tag business, sharpening our focus on rugged identification hardware. Our longstanding partnership with Xerafy has also helped us bring RFID tracking solutions to oilfield operators. In April 2025, Xerafy announced that our joint offering was reaching the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia, helping operators track equipment from pipe yards to wellheads.

How Our Teams Support OEMs from Design to Delivery

Industrial purchasing decisions often start long before a finished product reaches your facility. You may have a drawing, a performance requirement, or an operating environment that creates a problem for standard components.

Our teams can review those details with you and recommend a practical approach. We know that lead times, product inspection, and clear technical communication matter when you’re coordinating suppliers around a production schedule.

Examples of how we work include:

• Five-day standard lead times for custom nameplates
• More than 98% on-time delivery for nameplate orders
• Inspection of every interface product during production
• Design discussions based on your drawings, specifications, or operating conditions

Why Kansas City Students Are Part of Our Story

To mark our centennial in 2016, we launched Math in Manufacturing and made Giving Back one of our core values. Each week during the school year, we welcome approximately 40–50 fourth- and fifth-grade students to our facility. They create a custom nameplate, follow it through production, and solve practical math problems involving material costs, labor, and pricing. It's a hands-on way to see how classroom lessons apply to real manufacturing jobs.

Our separate partnership with PREP-KC introduces students from underserved Kansas City schools to manufacturing careers. According to PREP-KC's Beth McCarthy, we've hosted more than 5,800 students across 195 visits since 2016. These experiences give students an opportunity to explore different jobs, meet manufacturing professionals, and see where their education could take them.

Our commitment to helping young people extends beyond factory tours. We work with local schools to give students practical experience and prepare them for future careers. Some of our other initiatives include:

• Internships through Northland CAPS across different company departments
• Career mentoring with North Kansas City Schools
• Resume workshops and mock interviews with local students

Recognizing the People and Partnerships Behind Our Work

Those education programs have earned recognition beyond our factory. In 2024, the Kauffman Foundation named Holland 1916 one of its Business Champions of the Year. Its announcement highlighted our work with North Kansas City Schools and the contribution of then CFO Marilyn Beach to student projects and internships.

The community has supported us in other ways, too. In 2025, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce recognized Holland 1916 as a Top 10 Small Business and a public-voted Fan Favorite. We’re grateful that our relationships with local partners and customers have become part of our company’s story.

Inside Holland, that same sense of responsibility influences how we treat employees. We provide access to primary healthcare through a local business partnership, support further training, and share company updates at monthly meetings. We’ve seen team members move into new departments and leadership roles over time, bringing their experience into the work we do for manufacturers.

Looking Ahead with Holland 1916

From catalog printing plates to modern industrial equipment components, our business has grown alongside the manufacturers we serve. Our education programs and community partnerships remain a meaningful part of that history.

Today, Holland 1916 brings together specialists in durable metal identification, custom operator interfaces, and rugged RFID hardware. For manufacturers in industries such as oil and gas, our three companies can help address equipment identification, operator controls, and asset tracking through one group. With design support and a five-day standard nameplate lead time, we help you find practical solutions for demanding applications.

Reach out to us to discuss your application and reach the team best suited to your next project.