Corporation Service Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Corporate services, Legal services, Tax services, Domain registration |
| Founded | January 1, 1899 in Wilmington, Delaware, United States |
| Founder | Otho Nowland, Christopher L. Ward |
| Headquarters | Wilmington , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific |
Key people | Rodman Ward III (President and CEO as of 2010) |
| Products | Company formation, Corporate domain management, Corporate tax software solutions |
| Parent | WMB Holdings |
CSC is an American firm established on January 1, 1899, that delivers corporate, legal, and tax-related solutions. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, it maintains operations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. CSC’s expertise includes company formation, management of corporate domains, and corporate tax software solutions. As of 2022, it holds the distinction of being the world's largest registrar of corporate domains.
History
Corporation Service Company (CSC) was created in 1899 by Otho Nowland, who was then president of Equitable Guarantee & Trust Company, alongside Christopher L. Ward. With financial backing from Nowland, Ward, and Willard Jackson, they launched The Delaware Incorporators’ Trust Company. Independently, Josiah P. Marvel—an attorney and prominent figure within the American Bar Association—established a comparable enterprise.
In 1920, the two entities led by Ward and Marvel combined to form Corporation Service Company. During the 1970s, CSC primarily catered to Delaware-based business entities. CSC operates under its parent organization, WMB Holdings.
The Corporate Domains division of CSC supports prominent corporations such as Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com, Twitter, Starbucks, Lego, Sony Group Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Ford Motor Company, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Vodafone Group Plc.
CSC expanded its financial resources through the divestiture of its subsidiary Delaware Charter Guarantee & Trust Company, which it had acquired in 1977. Notably, during the September 11 attacks, CSC maintained offices on the 87th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center; all 60 staff members successfully evacuated prior to the second plane’s impact. In 2017, CSC inaugurated a new headquarters in Wilmington and transitioned its brand identity from "Corporation Service Company" to simply "CSC."
Leadership
Bruce R. Winn held the position of president at CSC starting in 1997 and took on the role of CEO in 1998. In 2010, Rodman Ward III was named both president and CEO. Ward is a fourth-generation heir of the company's founder, Christopher Ward, and had been serving on the board for 15 years. He also participates as a member of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.
Acquisitions
CSC experienced substantial growth through a series of acquisitions. The company acquired Corporate Information Services, based in Florida, in 1990. From 1989 to 1998, CSC expanded its portfolio by purchasing nine service providers, notably including Prentice Hall Legal & Financial Services in 1995 and Entity Service Group, LLC in 1998.
In 2003, CSC enhanced its offerings in Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), secured lending, and motor vehicle services by acquiring Lexis-Nexis Document Solutions. Later acquisitions included MLM Information Services in 2011, a provider specializing in tax management solutions, and Ingeo Systems, Inc. in 2012, which focuses on electronic real estate document recording (eRecording).
The acquisition of Melbourne IT’s corporate domain name and online brand services division occurred in 2013, leading to its rebranding as CSC Digital Brand Services. This division delivers services such as domain management, trademark searches, phishing defense, SSL certificate provisioning, DNS management, and gTLD solutions.
In 2014, CSC Digital Brand Services expanded its footprint in the Asia-Pacific region by acquiring Singapore-based IP Mirror. The following year, CSC acquired Hong Kong’s Koehler Group, which offers services including incorporation, tax consulting, accounting, and trade assistance. CSC operates offices throughout North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.
To further augment its domain name services capabilities, CSC acquired NetNames in 2016.
In March 2022, CSC initiated a $2 billion offer to acquire Dutch competitor Intertrust Group; this transaction was completed by November 2022.