Remember When, 1996:
- "Macarena" was at the top of the charts
- NBC had 8 of the top 10 shows, including ER, Seinfeld & Friends, (and you could record those shows using a state of the art Hi-Fi 4-head VCR),
- Gas was going for about $1.25/gallon
- With a 100Mhz WinBook XP5, with 16MB RAM & an 810 MB HDD, a little bit of knowledge, and a lot to learn, I started DMC on July 29th.
Anniversaries are a fun time to reflect on the changes that have happened over time. The 14th anniversary, with a traditional gift of Ivory, isn't as strongly symbolic as some of the more popular anniversaries (generally the ones that are divisible by 5, with the ones that are divisible by 5 twice being among the most popular).
So, even though 14 isn't as strongly meaningful as the 25th or 50th anniversaries, it at least warrants a blog post, and, if I remember, perhaps some donuts.
The first project I worked on in 1996 was a multi-axis servo controlled converting system used to make sausage casing. The system had a PC running Windows 3.11 for the operator interface with an application developed in MS VB 4.0.
The next few projects included programming the control system for an electronics welding robot, creating the software for an IV Bag manufacturing line, and working on automating a packaging machine for breakfast pastries.
After a few more projects, I realized that I needed help, otherwise I would perpetually be in the feast or famine mode of work. Thankfully, I was able to convince Ken Brey, one of the smarter people I had met to date (and since) to join DMC as my business partner. That one decision ended up being foundational in defining our #1 core value of hiring smart people.
So, although a ton has changed at DMC & the world around us in 14 years, some things have remained pretty constant:
- We continue to work in a variety of industries, with a wide range of technologies
- We remain committed to delivering world-class customer service, with a "whatever-it-takes" attitude
- The DMC Team only becomes better with time (it's amazing the great people we've been able to attract and retain here)
I really look forward to the next 7 years, as it will be really exciting for DMC to be able to finally legally drink.