AVON, Mass. — Controller Service & Sales Company, Inc., a third-generation distributor, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Matthew O’Dea founded the company in 1926 in Boston. O’Dea was born in 1899 in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Orphaned at a young age yet driven by determination, he earned a place at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. After graduating in 1916, he began his career with Cutler-Hammer, one of the key product lines the company continues to represent today.
With years of growing expertise in the industry, Matthew founded Controller Service & Sales in 1926 on Oliver Street in Boston. Initially established as a service company, it soon expanded into sales and distribution with Cutler-Hammer as its first supplier. From the beginning, the company has remained rooted in its founding principle: Service Before Sales Since 1926.
The company’s next era of growth was shaped by Robert O’Day, whose leadership began at an exceptionally young age. After graduating from Brown University in 1950, he stepped into a key leadership role just one year later, taking over the business in 1951 at the age of 24.
Under his direction, the company entered a period of steady expansion. In 1952, operations moved from Oliver Street to Batterymarch Street in Boston, followed by a second relocation in 1963 to Old Colony Avenue in South Boston to support continued growth.
Robert also led the company’s regional expansion. In 1954, a new facility was opened in Providence, Rhode Island, specializing in custom panel fabrication and switching components. This broadened the company’s technical capabilities and service offerings. In 1980, further growth brought a third location to Manchester, New Hampshire, strengthening its presence across New England.
Through these milestones, Robert established a clear vision of expansion, innovation, and operational strength that positioned the company for long-term success.
To this day, Controller Service & Sales remains a family-owned business, built on a tradition of hands-on leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to customer service. In the mid-1980s, the O’Day family formally carried that legacy forward into its next generation.
Mark O’Day (Brown University, 1977; University of Chicago, 1980), along with Scott O’Day (Marietta College, 1982) and Nancy O’Day (Colby-Sawyer College, 1980), guided the company through a period of modernization and expansion.
A major milestone came in 1987 with the relocation from Old Colony Avenue in South Boston to Robbie Road in Avon, Massachusetts, supporting the company’s continued growth and long-term vision.
With a century of experience, Controller Service & Sales continues to partner with leading global manufacturers to deliver high-quality control products, automation solutions, and fully integrated turnkey systems.
Under family leadership, the company has continued to evolve, introducing eCommerce capabilities, expanding its UL 508A certified panel shop in Providence, and enhancing its engineering, design, fabrication, and field services to provide complete end-to-end solutions.
Today, Controller Service & Sales supports more than 70 product lines and serves nearly 7,000 industrial customers, blending long-standing expertise with modern technology to meet the demands of an evolving industry.
As Controller Service & Sales celebrates 100 years, it honors the customers, employees, and partners who have shaped its journey and looks forward to continuing to build the future of industrial controls and automation together.