Company Meeting Brief
October 2017
Matt Giloth, Distributor Services Manager, assures employees that the work they are doing is making a positive impact. He remarks, “What you do is all around you” while presenting a sample of our products that are woven into hydraulic power unit applications around the nation, and across multiple industries including railroad, agriculture, and sub-sea. “There’s a greater sense of ownership and meaning in your work when you can see the end result, and how it helps solve problems in the industry.” Looking at the big picture and purpose in what we do each day can help employees engage more deeply in their work.
A Creative Endeavor
Daman’s Creative Team, a group of individuals within the company who research and plan revenue growth ideas, announces a new communication process for sharing updates on current projects in the stage-gate pipeline with all of its employees. Krysten Shoulders, HR Director, will be handling the internal communications. She says, “We strive for idea-sharing across all areas within Daman, so openly communicating these project updates company-wide can help us move toward our goals and give everyone the opportunity to see how we are proactively preparing for our future. Our hope is that through the sharing of updates we may gather more ideas from people who are not on the Creative Team or customer-facing.”
Executive Summaries
Dave Mischler, President, reports that orders are up 13% from this time last year, and in line with our steady growth projection of 10% for 2017, a significant improvement over 2015 and 2016. Our focus continues to be on quality, along with heavy on-going training for our workforce to prepare for growth in the years to come. “The procedures in place work; we just need everyone to follow them, and if needed, ask for help.” Enhancements to processes and communications will help us stay on track with our 2018 goals for continuous improvement. Next year looks to be another growth year, and budgets and project improvement plans are underway.
Gordon Weiler, Vice President of Sales, gives an update on the activity in our respective markets where railroad and power generation are down, but metals, material handling, and construction are on the rise. Confirmation of recent market trends came in after attending the NFPA Industry and Economic Outlook Conference. Current data on the fluid power industry from the IEOC suggests slow growth for the next 12 months, with a small dip at the end of 2018 into 2019. For Daman, “Our value proposition rests on what each of us do with our time each day”, says Weiler, who is working closely with our customers to help scope opportunities to serve them.
Service Awards and Employee Recognition
Five employees received awards for their years of service including Joe Verslype, 30 years; Bobby Hunt, 30 years; Thom Sibley, 20 years; Jane Long, 15 years; and Keith True, 15 years. Wow! That totals 110 years of service from only five people!
Thank you for your dedication!