DMC turned 30 on June 16. As we celebrate, we are thankful for God’s goodness, our teammates, families, clients, partners, and the local community.
These 30 years have been very rewarding. At times, our journey has been difficult, but our blessings have far outnumbered our challenges.
30-Year Rewind: DMC Then and Now
In 1993, the IT landscape was very different. Cybersecurity discussions weren’t common. The Internet was in its infancy. Many businesses did not have PC’s or email. Cell phones were only used to make phone calls. Data centers provided time share services, but we didn’t use the word “cloud”. Artificial intelligence was part of conversations, but we couldn’t have imagined the opportunities (and threats) it poses today.
Of course, the IT solutions we provide to our clients have changed dramatically over the years. And they will continue to change over the next several years in ways we can’t even imagine.
“WHO” DMC is has not changed at all. We are a team that is committed to a family first workplace, teamwork, and long-term relationships with our teammates, clients, and partners. We are locally owned and operated. We are problem solvers, innovators, and strive to always do the right thing. I am convinced that if we hold onto these core values, none of which are directly related to IT, we will have another great 30 years!
The Relationships
We’re in this for the long run!
Employees. We aspire to have every one of our employees retire from DMC, and we have a good track record. 9 of our 24 employees were with DMC when we started in 1993 and we will certainly host retirement parties for all of them. I tell all prospective employees that my goal is to have them retire from DMC. Those that fit into our culture share that aspiration.
Clients. We also aspire to have career-long relationships with our clients. We want partnerships, not transactions. We believe these long-term relationships are priceless……….to DMC and our clients.
Partners. We have strong loyalty to our technology partners including IBM, Microsoft, Dell, Cisco, SonicWall, Arctic Wolf, HP, and many others. These firms count on DMC to represent, install, and support their technologies with our clients. They continue to provide us with advanced technologies that allow us to deliver best-in-class solutions.
We also enjoy a great partnership through our joint venture with William Vaughan, Toledo’s largest locally-owned accounting firm, providing IT solutions to their clients.
Local
DMC is locally owned and operated. We see our teammates, clients, and partners in the Toledo area, in church, the grocery store, the gym, and at Mud Hens and Rocket games. This local flavor is knit into our culture and our commitment to doing things the right way.
Being locally owned AND debt free means that no outside parties dictate our decisions. This independence enables us to focus on the long-term success of our company and our clients.
DMC Teamwork
I want to wrap up by sharing a story that illustrates our team culture at DMC.
One of my proudest moments as the owner of DMC occurred during the Great Recession in 2008. We were facing business challenges. To avoid laying off employees, we instituted an across-the-board pay cut, with our leadership team taking the largest percent decrease. After I announced this action at our monthly company meeting, many of our team members approached me and said things like, “If we can avoid laying off our teammates, I’m all for it.”
There was a true sense of camaraderie and a cohesive spirit. We supported each other as a team. We had some challenging months, but we ultimately grew out of the recession. Within about a year, salaries returned to their previous levels, and we paid back lost wages.
30 Candles for DMC!
Cheers to 30 years—and counting!
We commemorate our June 16 anniversary every year with a team celebration. This year, we gathered at Inside the Five in Sylvania to share memories and enjoy each other’s company. The DMC team will continue the celebration this fall with a gathering at the Toledo Metroparks Glass City Riverwalk with our team and their families, business partners and clients. Stay tuned!
THANK YOU to all of you that have been part of our journey. We are most grateful.
Posted by Pat Sheehan, President DMC Technology Group
