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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal Star, 1976-04-15, Page 14• • r211,;:: • -PAah',-4A,--GoDE,RICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSt!PAY, APRIL 15, 1976 IMMCO-prosident talks ,about changes for th. future • • • .8Y JEFF SEDDON •• Bruce. Sully, president of • Dominion Road Machinery Cempany, plays aroi in the pperatien of 'the Goderich based firm that itntrejike • coach and general Manager than president. Head man in what, is now a corporation of firms the president assumes a double role in -what he loosely terms "the greatest era •the company has ex- ' perienced": Mr.' Sully realized recently that DRMCo is past• the point of being s one man show and has been working hard to • --convert 'the manageMent of the firm into a team system. •, By working with management consultant 'firms, scrutinizing the • operation of -other firms • larger and similar to DRMCo and bouncing ideas •off his employees, Sully has • im- plemented a management system that over the past several months has resulted in some key changes and additions in the company's - ••_ upper echelons, The charcge tb"th .tearn. of: ' managers was designed te • --T--..------allow-,DRIKCo-ernployees to • people strain the growthof the company has produced' said the president. "When you• expand seven times .you automatically. getl seven times the Workloadd.orid yotr have to change. to ac- commodate that." ' The system :.cave loped places Sully at the top in the president's chair.. Reporting • to him on a regular basis are • vice-presidents from eacl) of the company's divisions. The VP's maintain- a' steady rapport with their •plant managers and' foremen ' creating •a,' communications, network that allows in- forthation and ideas to work from management to em- ployees and vice versa. •`The vice-presidents im- part policy to their managers ,using thebenefits of their experience. The managers ensure that the • poliCies are •put into • action and , quickly report back the results of the •Moves.- The managers, working, closely in the field, are able to suggest ideas and innovations to the vice- : presidents that ..thrOugli, 'experience they will •hopefully.he he to mak.elise say abreast' . of their con- • pany's phenomenal growth. Working from -a base corn- ,. •• pany DRMCo has expanded into a sales company, a gear cutting •business and a business air service that together measure•to be about • seven times larger than the • original grader • mannfac, • • •ture.r. Expectations for • GEARCo alone in the next ,• five year S 'is a- growth. that • , will mean five times More • • . 'business than the gear cutting _firm is doing now— • • • • Measured—in dollA7rs; the • , '• .-g-rowthf the 7ompany _ •• brought it frpm $235,090 worth. of business. in 1945 to the 1976 total of just off $50 million. The goal.for 1982; just six • years away, is $209 million, • four times the 1976 volume. Keeping tabs on thatkind of _growth . requires a steady • effort that one man Cannot handle. •Sully's method of • keeping his hand on the pulse of the company is tosurround himself with qualified staff • capable of handling their • responsibilities, with • initiative. • PEOPLE.'AMAZED "People afe amazed at the financial strain and the • V.1 he1 most • famous baske• t world® kreome, • s Phone 524-2724 • of, explained Mr. Sully - Wringing his hands with excitement:- ,- • • Talking about his company hasthat exciting affect on the president. He, may open 'a • conversation abiont DRMCo lounging in one of his office chairs but after about five minutes he will undoubtedly be folding and unfolding his ;legs 'while • he' waves his, fingers in front of himself to • stress a point. • the. en- thusiasm he maintains spills over onto his staff and seems. --tO t..-OrrninOn denominator .from- dep4rtinenr-cto depar- tment in the company'', • combination:, • •of relations, sales and planning; His anneal trip across the -• continent 'is Earned at • producing results in all three. Areas of the business but istk not done because no one Oat can handle it. ••. •.1 • ANNUAL E90 TRIP ' •"It's like an annual egO trip: I go out in the, field to • keep abreast of 'what -is happ4ning and to look for room for Unproven -lent. It'S •good' for -the ego to sit down • with someone halfway across the world and ask them where we cart improve our operation • and they can't answer." • The visits to the customVrs ' are not "witchhunts" 4ap! cording to Sully. He claims he is not looking over someone's shoulder to see if they are• doing the job properly rather making an honest attempt to see where the _ company chimprove. He points out tha e feels he has excellent employees but sometimes his visits ,produce knowledge that can be put to Bruce Sullyexcited . • • 1 ' customer's location, 'flying them to Goderich, showing • them the plant, feeding them .and flying them' • back the, company has adVertisecl their • product in a personal manner • and been able to. keep the' chstorner' together . with DRMCo emplOyees.• • • The sales system reliei heavily on employees • and sales. 'staff making a...,good impression on. .customers • which -reverts back to Sully!,s. aim to Make his staff proud to, be associated with DRMCo. By Making a special effort te • maintain geodraPport with his staff Sully is confident their happiness Will show up in •-high quality of work, something that is' neCessary • when you bring' cestomerS- ' into your plant to see the inside as well as the outside of •• your product. • What appear's to be a •romantic success story for the DRMCo head has not been all bright lights aficrtuxedos: -He began his 'career at DR- MCo about 30.,yeans ago as a --trm'ekeeper. He, was promoted •to •the Sales:, departroentnd, in 1947 'he.. went .on the road averaging ••• :have little touch with. " •" in Goderich is a difficult thing . • • :between •59,p00-- and- -6001,,, • NEED PLANES -,-- miles per year in what be "CorriniunfeationS,..". .aetording to the DRMCo • stresseS:."BeSides inostaf-theL-president__He„.'explain§ that • The planes are another • calls his "'Pop • and „crackers dealers are intensely loyal to r. • eyery .• time the" company chapter in the DRMCo storyperiod", • the: area managers and ;" embarks .on a new scheme Purchased aspart °fa plan to He remembers his father . Wouldn't say .if there -was that has a certain arrionnt•of aid salesthe planes were giving him .a raise when he.. anything wrong anyhow' .:risk involved he spends thought ,by some to be the married to allow him ...to The:fruits. of brie such visit • many, many sleepless nights private toys of the company support a • dependant. The . to a'. 'dealer, whhm the worrying about the effect the presidentraise brought his pay from president calls his partner! move may have '.on the' . Mt. Sully. •eiblained the - $-2-4 perweek 0827;• _ rather , than .„„bustorner; company.. • • need for the planes simply by He claims he was not born resulted in a lucratiiie deal.. He adds that hi -s company'S starting with , the unique with A silver -spocin in his. Smiling warmly. Stilly reealls.dealings' with the town of feature DRMCo enjoys over • mouth but has .been a she, - the visit vividly. Goderich • are sometimes , their coMpetition. He said cessful business man; a • • He arrived at the dealer:Petittatrued to be done .with most of the cpriipetitors success largely due to the Place of business, a two bay • -Wine suggestion of pressure assemble their machinery in training his father gavehim. . - garage not much -bigger' than..i-2•by•XtRIVICa with-4,hadrtent. all„, their . plants .getting various He said. his father ' wa,;s very ,a gasstatiEmrancl-Ternernbers-'L-'44Yi5iringilthjy-getth.eir way-- -parts - adept jon the business, world the Man. didn't ,appear ta. . Sully said he could naf de various .' supPliers. DRIVIC0, . and provecrit-br know, the difference between anything to' remove that however, manufactures 80 company that was doomed to a road grader and .a shovel:: .sitilgma but added that neither percent of •their grader's in . six months survival by the. . • . The customer was impressed• he npr the firm ever intended their own plants, buying the . community when it started that the DRMCo president to appear dominant in any • remainder. of the parts. • and bringing itto what is now . --would take the time to visit 'dealings ...with _the town and needed. The planes are , the largest manufacturer of himand promised that, if he • certainly never. held ;any , 'beneficial to sales since they road machinery in Canada: could sell , a road grader he hammer over town cpuncil's 'allow salesmen to bring. . wouldNOT PRESSURED.. • • • • head. • • • - potential, customers - to the , . • "He,. said Sully his the most • •recent effort plant to witness • , the —cern- T.The success of his father. voice starting to rise ,frOm•,,,j;,,rnade that concerned both the stritction of . a road grader has not. pressured Sully. He-- excitern,ent.:. ' •, ' town 'and .DRMCo was the from the groundup. . says 'he realizes that hiS . -Sully's • functions at the, .;npgrading of .Sky. Harbor • "They can come in and kick father and brother- both DRMCo main office here rn airport to license the field for the tires, start the engine or brought •the firm' through Goderich are ' vitally 410,40tight flying-. 'The DR1Skp watch the men putting a periods. 'of • growth that . portant in view of his ghatili.:Otrresident said his firm is transmissicin together," saidamazed critics and he 12.A has put ,oae "people oriented"' and strives,..' development 'pf the airport .,much these people don't know • ip) continuously to meet his staff for obvioug" readons the about what they're' about to . and teensure their happinesi.& .,'"company's two airplanes.. buy and showing them• ' • • He claims that people lie said the planes play an first hand' they ukially Denomme happy in. their work-nrid :•at integral part in the future of • witnessing the quality we all 7, • use another area -of the •Taranto he would neVer be„ DRMCo -and were not done company, :an arba that noticed. • , because the company wanted partisular employee May, Being the largest ernployer them done. • SQUARE MEM. SttUARE DEAL •TRY .4"'NOW Nollki FULLY LICENSED,. RES ALJRANT STEAKHOUSE & TAVERN 'Ltd- • • LLENSED.UNDERTHP i4lauOtt-..400N0g. V0401• .11.1: - • For a Tasty Treat Try caittlt$E, Esquire The Square__ Phone -524-2242 •• • •&wig ot Um out • OPEN Man. -Thur. 10 to 10- Fri. -Sat. 10-12 Sunday 11 to 10 Closed Wednesday Restaurant Goderich • MAKE IT FLY • "The exciting thing about • this company is that.we can he-says'really make it fly," he -says his voice rising."There may be a •phenomenal 'capital investmentbut that's part of • theMi and excitement. . The investment of capital in the business stems front a continuous co-operation the • president maintains with his bank manager While, simultaneouslr ploughing all the funds he can back int e the • company He refers to his company's new ventures as investments rather than • gambles.. "We can't afford to gamble so we carefully calculate all • our moves,"! he said.. "There • may be an element of risk but •-if you're not willing to:take • the risk nothing will happen." • . The •president's habit of •"'referring to the DRMCo staff as "we" stems from his continuous involvement'in the • com'pany' activities. He • laughingly comments that he • is the old man on staff, pointing out that at_50 he feelS aged when he meets with his executives, the ,majority of whom are in their 30's. "I work as hard as anyone • here because I have to for peace of mind," he said. "Oh,. • I could survive but that would be too humdrum and I'm not built like that." ., Mr. Sully's work schedule --invoires about 30,000 miles of travelling a year and regular meetings with his own staff and the management of firms - that are potential customers. "I've never enjoyed myself more," he says. "I enjoy my job which is something few people can say but I think if you enjoy your work life is a lot easier to cope with." The -role Sully plays in the DRMCo operation is . a • , ........ .___.,_ • . DANCE to "Busker" C•FILS4. CLINTON Thursday, ikpril 15 • DANCING 9 with student • Admission. •s 2100 cartl „ • 4 • 2.5,0 weshout card He describes himself as very Vitally. interested - in the- Sully. "It's amazing how (cOntinued• rg. • . their job are people proud of the DRMCo corporation and strive' for and we make -a • •; their work and striving to It is very necessary to base '-sale." F L0 WER perfect what they do. He says them from • Goderich: He Getting the ctistomers to • • the pride thet'have is very added, however, that the Godetich however • is very f f important if quality of improvements to Sky Harbor important in setting the mood• • SI -10P product is to be maintained. • benefitted the town as well as of tbe visit. By flying to the • TEAM EFFORT • "The .fellow I meet in the morning cleaning the vviri- dovvs of the main entrance is proud to be associated ,with DRMCo and the job .he does. cleaning is just part .of the overall quality of work we strive for here." • ,Sully admits that he will never . be able to please everyone in the company but, adds that he will never 'stop trying. He says the -fact that he is the largest emplOyer small townadds to the everyone. He points out that it he displays signs of success here he may be thought of as a rich man but if he owned the same material things in 4 '4k 46 Dine. Out for Easter Easter Sundy is a very special day. This year ctlebrate Easter' with a - delicious sin rgasbord dinner at the Bedford licrtel. Enjoy the quiet, peaceful atmosphere - make your reservdtions today. Easter •• Sunday Smorgasbord served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. • • The Square •Goderich • 524.7337 Phone 524,8132' DAY. OR NIGHT. I • Agent to; •• • FILM DEVELOPING . • Take advantage of the 1975 price. The Lord. Simcoe is maintaining the price on .the 2 nite special in the face of rising costs. fortwi)includes: .• modern guest rcioin for 2 nights ' •• dinner•one evening'atthe fanious Captain'S Tab•le. • including a welcoming refreshment. ' •• breakfast each morning •. free overnight parking (from 6.00 p.M. to 830 am only each day) •• $6990 • subject to advance registration and you can stay an extra night • for only $2300 double See your travel agent or reserve direct. • The ,Lord Sirncoe Ijotel, 150 King St: West, Toronto- Tvl: (416) 362-1818 GODERItH MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION Wed. April 21 -Uni�n Hall Saltford Novice - •Atom Pee Wee. Bantarn 4, •Midget 4 Juvenile =4 • 6:30 to 8 p.m. DINNER and AWARDS 8:30 to 10 p.m. DINNER' aid 4WARDS COACHES, MANAGERS and CONVENERS.. ALL INVITED • A PARE tasked to bring their son • ajniisSion is '1. 4 • .%.*4 .. • • Goderich Memorial Areno ' Fridays 8 4111 p.m. Saturdays :8 - 1 1 p.m. • Sundays 8 1 1 pan. -• Wednesdays - 8 ADMISSION 1:5c SKATE RENTAL SOt ,• - • • • • r> . • ,