SMART CONSTRUCTION Dennis Cox

SMART CONSTRUCTION

Dennis Cox leads a growing team of technology solutions experts committed to helping customers adopt tech, increase savings

What started as one Komatsu intelligent Machine Control (iMC) dozer a decade ago has grown into numerous Smart Construction solutions that help customers save time and costs associated with surveying, recordkeeping, quantity evaluations, billing, and more. Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) is committed to helping customers get the most out of their iMC machines as well as Komatsu’s Smart Construction technology such as Smart Construction Remote, Field, Dashboard and others, according to Dennis Cox, Director of Smart Construction for KSM.

Cox joined KSM in October of 2022 and leads a growing team of technology solutions experts (TSEs). Their mission is to help customers adopt Smart Construction, so they can reap the benefits those solutions offer. Currently, KSM has four TSEs, and Cox said the company is looking for more.

Dennis Cox, Director of Smart Construction, KSM

“We have ambitious plans for current and future growth,” Cox stated. “Additional TSEs would give us the ability to get the word out and better support our customers’ efforts in adopting and utilizing Smart Construction. We’re looking for people who are comfortable with and interested in technology — GPS experience is a plus — that can train and provide exceptional customer support. That’s what it’s all about.”

Foundation from the Navy

Cox has been supporting customers for more than 20 years, with 17 of those geared toward management and technology. He started in the industry as a field technician a few years after leaving the Navy in 1994 where he was in its nuclear power program as a mechanic.

Director of Smart Construction Dennis Cox (center) and TSE Eddie Garcia (left) talk about technology with Weaver Excavating & Septic LLC Project Manager Scott Shelton.

“That gave me a good foundation in hydraulics and other systems and how they are interconnected,” Cox recalled. “I actually went into the bar and restaurant industry when I first got out of the Navy. A large equipment manufacturer in the area that I lived in at the time had a marketing position, so I went to work for them. I came back to Dallas to work in an equipment dealer’s hydraulic shop and worked my way up.”

Cox continued, “I became aware of Kirby-Smith from some friends, and I heard that it was a great place to work. I saw that right from the start. When I met with the leadership prior to taking the job, I saw their commitment to technology and was very impressed. I knew this was a program that had a big future to it, and I’m very excited about where we’re going and what we’re doing with it.”

Dennis and his wife, LeighAnn, have five children and six grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with family, boating, seeing live music, and occasionally golfing. ■