Connections - Winter 2011

Winter 2011

www.dakotasupplygroup.com INSIDE: • Training Sets DSG Apart • Innovation Runs In The Family

• Conserving Water One Town At A Time

• Advancing Minnesota Into The • In An Industry Of High-Voltage Next Generation Of Meter Reading Applications, TSTM Leads The • Saving South Dakota – One Leak Way In Safety At A Time • With Backup Like This, The Power Is Always On 1

More Than Just Transactions

CONNECTIONS

When two people get together to do business, the result can be either a transaction or an encounter. A transaction goes something like this: A customer walks into a business, asks for a product, an employee finds it for him, the employee rings him up and the customer goes on his way. The customer may very well be satisfied with the transaction, but that’s about as deep as it ever goes. He never feels particularly happy or energized or challenged by the transaction.

An encounter is different. In an encounter, the buyer and the seller work as partners. The customer counts on the provider for input,

whether it’s advice on installation, information or innovation. The sale is only the beginning with an encounter. In the big picture, the sale is one small part of a relationship that benefits everyone involved.

At DSG, we focus on encounters. We don’t just supply products; we supply solutions.

Whether it’s a phone call or a meeting, an email or a delivery, we want you to come away from each interaction feeling as though it was a success. If we’ve done our job, you feel more than satisfied – you feel empowered, ready to take on your next project knowing that DSG has got your back.

Sometimes we accomplish this in big ways like training, inventory, delivery, etc. Sometimes we do it in smaller ways, like asking insightful follow-up questions or answering the phone on the weekend. By seeing each customer as a partner, we are able to focus on his or her success rather than our own. The result: more encounters, more partnerships and more success for everyone involved.

Whether it’s the wide selection of products that we stock or any of the other training and business tools that we offer, we want every encounter to earn your trust, and help energize you and your business.

Todd Kumm CEO­

Table Of Contents • Into

Action............................................................................... 4 • Electrical................................................................................... 6 Training Sets DSG Apart............................................................. 7 • Automation............................................................................ 12

Innovation Runs In The Family.................................................. 13 • Utility/Filtration................................................................... 17

In An Industry Of High-Voltage Applications, TSTM Leads The Way In Safety...................................................................... 18 • DSG

Education Connection Fund Awards Three $1,000 Scholarships............................................................. 22 • DSG Kids Club: Fresh New Look, Same Great Fun..... 22 • Get To Know Mike Place, DSG’s New Training Manager................................................................. 23 • Communications................................................................... 24 With Backup Like This, The Power Is Always On...................... 25 • Mechanical............................................................................. 29

Conserving Water One Town At A Time..................................... 31 Meet St. Paul’s Mechanical Team.............................................. 34 • Metering

Technology. ......................................................... 36

Advancing Minnesota Into The Next Generation Of Meter Reading........................................................................... 37 Leonard Heinemann.................................................................. 40 • Waterworks............................................................................ 42

Saving South Dakota – One Leak At A Time.............................. 43 Chad Pudwell............................................................................ 46

CONNECTIONS

Ernie Leesch............................................................................... 20

Tyler Smith................................................................................ 47 • DSG

Mitchell Shows Off Its DSG Kids Club Spirit...... 48 • DSG Creates A Home Run Presentation........................ 48 • Improve Your Business In One Day At DSG Power Tools 2011................................................................. 49 • DSG’s P4 Learning Lab Is Ready To Power Up Profitability In The Spring Of 2011. ............................... 49 • DSG Takes Home Two Best Of The Best Marketing Awards From The Electrical Distributor (TED) Magazine..................................................................... 50 • Fans Like DSG...................................................................... 50 • There’s No “I” In “DSG”................................................... 51

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

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Into Action

DSG’s Innovative Manager Training Benefits Everyone, Especially Customers

CONNECTIONS

Growing companies all face a common challenge: How do you concentrate on improvement when day-to-day business takes up much of your time? In late 2009, DSG’s management team answered this question by adopting an action-oriented style of leadership known as the Manager Action Program (MAP).

A year later, the results are very promising.

“MAP was different than anything we had seen before,” says Tom Rosendahl, president of DSG. “It has challenged us to keep improving, to stay focused and to remain accountable for what we do. Year one has been exciting.”

MAP is a unique program that works with companies to increase the effectiveness of the management team through effective decision making, communication, problem solving and most pointedly, accountability. First, a MAP consultant meets with the company to define a long-term goal, as well as steps to reach that goal. This is done by identifying the company’s vital factors – anything that is critical to achieving these goals. Next, the management team meets on a regular basis in order to set short-term goals that, in turn, work to benefit the overall long-term objectives of the company. It is in this step that the MAP process stands out. Each team member identifies a goal for which he or she is responsible – then he or she must complete that goal before the next meeting (usually a month). This has the dual benefit of forcing action on the part of team members, while also providing a sense of achievement for each step of the overall plan.

“MAP empowers people and companies,” says Kathie Julian, a senior consultant at MAP – and the main liaison to DSG. “By encouraging everyone to be accountable, it

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helps to develop high-performing leaders.”

DSG has created two management teams for MAP – an operations team and a sales team.

Each team consists of 10 members that include staff from different departments at DSG. Each team creates a list of individual initiatives for each MAP team member, as well as for their associates.

These initiatives, while individual, play a part in the ultimate goal of the

“This program is creating positive results at DSG,” says Dan Miller, St. Paul Mechanical branch manager and a member of the DSG MAP sales team. “It has helped us to generate new ideas and find new ways of helping our customers. Identifying MAP’s vital factors has given us a road map for growth and a plan for building better customer relationships.”

One of the most obvious benefits of DSG’s action-oriented initiative has been an improvement in team morale. By having clearly identified goals and a positive support structure in place to help achieve them, DSG employees are embracing this new feeling of empowerment.

“We’ve seen great enthusiasm from all of the employee owners at DSG,” says Tibbals.

“No matter what their jobs are, everybody understands that each achievement – no matter how big or small – is important to the big picture. Every time we succeed in showing measurable results, our customers notice – and that’s good for everyone.”

“All companies talk about progress, but not every company wants to do the work,” Rosendahl says. “We’re showing that actions speak louder than words. This program hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it.”

Since starting the program, DSG has seen marked improvements in communication, teamwork and efficiency, both within the company itself and with its customers.

“Customers are seeing the benefits of this program, and that’s very exciting,” says Miller. “They’re seeing that a strong DSG is a strong partner in business.

“Best of all,” he adds. “This is just the beginning.”

CONNECTIONS

MAP process – continued customer satisfaction.

“We are continuously making improvements by tapping into our best resources,” says Brian Tibbals, DSG’s purchasing director and a member of the DSG MAP operations team.

“When DSG runs efficiently, it makes us a better partner to our customers. Things like inventory and bookkeeping aren’t just internal, they benefit our customers a lot when we do them well.”

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

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DSG Electrical Group

ELECTRICAL

As a person who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, I can honestly say that I learn something new most every day. With our ever-changing industry and the technological advances that we have all encountered, there is still a lot to learn. At DSG, we don’t just acknowledge that fact, we embrace it – and our commitment to training proves it. When it comes to distribution and the industries we serve, DSG has some of the best-trained people in our entire industry – and that’s a fact.

You’ll see an article in this issue that talks about the EPEC (Electrical Products Education Course) training that our electrical team goes through. EPEC is a training course that requires dedication. It can take up to three years (or more) to complete all of the books. In fact, they say that earning EPEC Gold Certification is

the equivalent to a college degree in electrical distribution. You’ll also see that we have a good number of Certified Electrical Professionals (CEP), a prestigious certification from another rigorous training program. And I don’t want to leave out the training that our industry partners such as I-Mark and NAED provide, along with training from others like Square D, GE, P & S, Cutler Hammer and Panduit, just to name a few. At DSG, we offer nearly an entire week of training to every employee owner, each and every year.

What good does all that training do us? It’s not what it does for us that’s important – it’s what it does for our customers that matters. We do our homework. We search for answers. We keep learning . . . because we want to provide the best products and solutions that will benefit our customers the most. Training isn’t just something we talk about – it’s something we’re passionate about.

It’s also worth mentioning that training isn’t just for employees here at DSG. We have many programs for our customers as well; programs that we’ve developed to grow business for everyone involved. We help customers understand products. We help them understand sales and marketing. We even help them understand things like billing and collecting.

When it comes to training, we’re all in this together. After all, if we each improve a little every day, then everyone succeeds in the end.

Mike Tupa

Electrical Group Manager 6

Training Sets DSG Apart DSG Employee Owners With

EPEC Training Rick Anderson Shane Bakken Chad Baumgartner Ryan Beaton Michael Biermeier Dave Boehm Don Borowicz Stephanie Brandner Arne Breikjern Anne Bryson Ken Buchwitz Brittani Button Bonny Carlson Dic Chiolis Chris Dalbec Chad Devier Tom Dostal Dwayne Egli Sam Erickson Tony Eystad Rick Featherstone Justin Feickert John Felts Tim Ganschow Chad Gascoigne Brian Hindman Steve Holstein Brian Johnson Dan Johnson Brad Jordahl Patty Keuffler Richard Kiel Eric Kouril Jason Kramer Jeff Ladner Todd Langbehn Jeff Larson Kate Liden James Lingenfelter Scott Lundberg

Terry Mace Dale Marthe Shane McCollum Jerry Meland Brandon Messer Greg Miller Philip Misialek Doug Moe Perry Nagel Bob O’Connell Stacey Olson Marshall Oster Cameron Pederson Art Perron Michael Place Darin Rusch Casey Rysavy Sharon Schafer Kyle Schwan Jason Schmitt Charles Schmitz John Seeley Craig Skillingstad Jeff Stone Jesse Streed Jay Svir Kyle Trosen Tavis Trosen Brad Tupa Jay Tupa Brent Twogood Wade Uhrich Darrin Vatnsdal Dan Walsh Curtis Weber Blake Weiland Brady Wieweck John Wirtz Rick Zietz Jason Zimny

ELECTRICAL

Like all of DSG, the Electrical Group prides itself on having the industry’s best-trained salespeople. That’s why sales associates are encouraged to participate in as many training opportunities as possible, including the most extensive training available for the electrical distribution industry – the National Association of Electrical Distributors’ (NAED) Electrical Products Education Course (EPEC).

“The electrical industry is very product oriented, and it takes a long time to learn all there is to know to be successful,” says Arne Breikjern, marketing manager at DSG who is EPEC Gold certified. “EPEC training provides a comprehensive course that not only provides our employee owners with extensive product knowledge, but it teaches you how to continue learning long after the course is complete.

“That’s important for the student,” adds Breikjern, “but even more beneficial to DSG customers. EPEC training makes a huge difference when helping customers. It gives you the knowledge to ask the right questions and the experience to find the right answers.

Better customer service starts with better training, and EPEC proves it.”

EPEC training is a three-tiered course (bronze, silver, gold), with five modules in each tier.

Students are provided with books that offer extensive industry and product knowledge. Each module assigns chapters to read, ending with a quiz to reinforce what was learned. Students start at the bronze level with module one, learning the basic philosophy of the industry, and move on from there. As the course advances, each module gets more in depth and challenging. Module 15, the last level, is a final test that students need to pass in order to continued on page 8 become certified.

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continued from page 7

ELECTRICAL

“By the time you’ve completed the full course, it’s widely regarded as the equivalent of a college degree in electrical distribution,” says Mike Place, training manager for DSG and a current EPEC student.

EPEC training is an independent-learning course, with professionals at NAED available to answer any questions students may have.

However, the main goal is for students to learn on their own, and to learn how to find answers on their own. The final test is corrected by an NAED professional, who then determines whether the student has met the requirements to become certified. Since the majority of students are full-time members of the workforce, EPEC training allows them to complete the course at their own pace.

“It took me three years to complete the course, which is about average,” says Breikjern.

It was three years that made a significant difference in his career.

“I was the inside sales contact for western North Dakota at the time and making calls on everything from telephone companies to power plants to mines,” Breikjern says. “The course gave me insight on how products relate to each other. I was able to find solutions for my customers that I would never have considered had I not gone through EPEC training.”

Today, many DSG employee owners continue to improve their understanding of the constantly evolving electrical distribution industry by enrolling in the course.

“This is the best and fastest way to get knowledge into the hands of salespeople that I’ve seen,” says Breikjern. Nearly 80 DSG sales associates have completed or are currently enrolled in EPEC training.

Many DSG employees have also passed the NAED Certified Electrical Professional (CEP) exam. This exam establishes a baseline for professionals in the areas of product knowledge, customer service, sales skills and soft (interpersonal) skills. The certification is available for inside and outside salespeople, branch managers and warehouse managers.

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DSG Employee Owners With

CEP Training Kyle Beaird Dwayne Egli Brad Jordahl Glen Koneczny Eric Kouril

Shane McCollum Bob O’Connell Jeff Stone Darrin Vatnsdal

ELECTRICAL

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Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

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ELECTRICAL

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ELECTRICAL Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

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AUTOMATION

DSG Automation Group Of all the different groups at DSG, Automation may be the most misunderstood.

In fact, it can take some work just explaining what it is we do here. It could be because the very nature of our business is to work “behind the scenes.” After all, if a complex machine is performing some important task, the machine itself becomes the star, not the control system that is giving it direction. That’s how it should be. If the controls are good enough, then telling the machine(s) what to do becomes second nature. The better the automation, the less you notice it.

But you can sure see the results. Productivity increases. Safety improves. People are freed from dangerous, difficult or mundane jobs.

When you work with us here at DSG Automation Group, the end results are obvious.

Have you ever seen the defensive coordinator at a professional football game? Can’t recall?

That’s because most of the time he’s not very obvious. In fact, a lot of them aren’t even on the sideline with the rest of the coaching staff and the team. Instead, they’re way, way up at the top of the stadium near or in the press box, overseeing the action from above. This gives them the ability to see the big picture and still control the formations with precision.

They’re never the guys who get the Gatorade shower on national TV, but that doesn’t make their job any less important.

DSG Automation Group works the same way.

We learn about the customer and the process that needs to be controlled or automated, then we research, strategize and plan out a course of action. Finally, we work with the customer to build a solution, all the while hoping that our hard work is so well integrated that it is forgotten in the end.

We’re not satisfied until we’ve made your job easier, and that’s all the recognition we need.

John Gearman

Automation Group Manager

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Innovation Runs In The Family

At about the same time, a Minnesota farmer had invented the first hydraulic ironworker, a machine used to punch, shear and notch steel.

The hydraulics made it much more powerful than more primitive ironworkers, and Art recognized its potential immediately. He bought the patent in 1966. More than 40 years later, hydraulic ironworkers are still the best-selling products at Scotchman Industries.

Scotchman Industries quickly became the largest employer in Philip (population 855), taking over the local bowling alley to expand its operations. As a marketing idea, a sticker featuring a thrifty Scotsman was applied to completed machines. The icon became synonymous with the company, and before long the company took the name “Scotchman” to take advantage of the growing brand identity.

continued on page 14

AUTOMATION

Those who work with metal every day can tell you that it takes a lot of strength. By its nature, metal demands powerful handling to form it into the things we use every day. It’s not a job for weak machines or weak people.

Manufacturing with metal is a calling that requires tenacity and imagination in equal parts. Scotchman Industries in Philip, South Dakota, embodies both of these qualities, and the products they build do, too. It’s only natural, then, that Scotchman Industries would work with DSG on its latest innovation. After all, DSG is no stranger to big ideas, or the determination that it takes to make them into reality.

In the 1950s, Art Kroetch purchased a salvage yard in Philip (about 86 miles east of Rapid City), but the salvage business was not enough to satisfy Art’s entrepreneurial spirit – or his love of invention and machines. Over the next 15 years or so, he combined salvaged parts into a series of gadgets and products, from metal gates and chutes to a unique mechanism that allowed cattle to apply their own bug repellent.

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

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continued from page 13

AUTOMATION

“It’s ironic,” says Jerry Kroetch, current president of Scotchman Industries and son of founder Art Kroetch, “because we’re German.”

Jerry Kroetch began working at Scotchman Industries as a high schooler, working his way up through virtually every job in the company.

He was the sales manager by the time his father retired, and six years ago he took over as president. It is clear from his demeanor that he shares his father’s love for innovation.

“We keep looking for new products to build,” he says. “If there’s one out there, we’ll find it.”

One of those new products was something known as a cold saw. Scotchman Industries began selling them in the 1980s, and today it is the largest manufacturer of cold saws in North America.

“A cold saw is a very unique machine,” Kroetch says. “You can saw steel and aluminum, but it runs at a very low RPM. You would look at the blade turning and say ‘that can’t cut butter!’ But it will cut steel so smooth you wouldn’t believe it.”

As sales of cold saws have grown, so has the level of sophistication expected by Scotchman Industries’ customers. Sales manager Mike Albrecht saw it firsthand. “For a long time, users were fine with good old-fashioned knobs, switches and buttons,” he says. “But today’s manufacturers demand improved technology, and we knew that we needed to accommodate.”

Dic Chiolis, outside sales associate for DSG in Rapid City, South Dakota, recognized that this endeavor would be a good fit for the Automation Group. Scotchman Industries had a relationship with DSG as a supplier, and had heard stories of the cutting-edge work being done by DSG’s automation experts.

“It made sense to give them a try,” says Albrecht, “and it worked out very well.”

DSG’s experienced automation team transformed the Scotchman RFA Cold Saw’s mechanical controls into an easy-to-use digital interface. Accessed through a sturdy, full-color touch screen, this new control center makes saw adjustments quicker, easier and more precise. Plus, settings can be saved into memory for future access. Best of all, the new control panel makes maintenance a snap.

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“It’s much more user-friendly,” Kroetch says.

“It’s exactly what our customers asked for.”

“I’ll give the guys at DSG credit,” says Albrecht.

“They did as good of a job as any of the big-city solutions we considered.”

“We’ve been working with DSG for a long time now,” adds Kroetch, “and I’m glad we do.”

The control system on Scotchman Industries’ new RFA Cold Saw clearly appeals to Jerry Kroetch’s inventive nature. After all, he likes to use his own products every now and then. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he smiles. “It’s like I have the world’s biggest machine shop for whenever I want to tinker on the weekends.”

Invention is a family trait that has served Scotchman Industries well through the years, as has the company’s well-known commitment to customer satisfaction. “We take pride in caring for our customers,” Kroetch adds. “It’s the most important thing we do.”

Innovation and customer service: two important reasons for the success of Scotchman Industries, and two concepts at the core of DSG’s business as well.

Jerry Kroetch shows off the newest cold saw update from Scotchman Industries.

With more than 20 years in the automation industry, John DeYonge, custom panel fabricator for DSG’s Automation Group, was an easy choice to work on the Scotchman Industries RFA Cold Saw’s new control panel. Utilizing parts from Schneider Electric, DeYonge worked on the programming, touch screen layout and operations of the control panel.

AUTOMATION

Hands On

“Schneider Electric provided us with most of the parts for the control panel, as well as technical support,” says DeYonge. “They were a big part of this project’s success.”

DeYonge also worked with the team at Scotchman Industries to provide software training and to tweak the system once the panel was put into service.

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AUTOMATION

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“Knowledge is power.” This is a quote from Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher from the 1500s, but it can most certainly be applied today as well. In fact, it makes a lot of sense when it comes to how we do business here at DSG. Training is the most obvious way that we use knowledge to power the success of our customers. When it comes to our products, we strive to keep our customers on the cutting

edge of everything from education to innovation to installation.

Take this issue’s featured manufacturer, Two Sockets-Two Meters (TSTM). By helping our customers recognize the inherent challenges of metering 480V potential – and the subsequent advantages provided with TSTM’s VT-Pack Transformer Assemblies – we’ve been able to provide them with valuable knowledge that has resulted in real power. The power to reduce unnecessary risk to their people.

The power to minimize the damage caused by equipment failure. And the power to avoid the costs of addressing these problems after they’ve occurred, rather than before.

Here at DSG, we don’t just show off the product itself. We learn about the product and the company behind it. We ask challenging questions. We take part in training. Then, we put that information together with our own experience and share it with our utility company partners. The resulting knowledge is more than the sum of its parts. It has power – the power to save money, time and even lives.

If you want to find out how much power good training can provide, you owe it to yourself to give us a call at DSG. We’ll show you how we energize knowledge to make your job easier.

UTILITY/FILTRATION

DSG Utility & Filtration Groups

Chad Veitenheimer

Utility & Filtration Group Manager

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

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In An Industry Of High-Voltage Applications, TSTM Leads The Way In Safety

UTILITY 18

It was an over-voltage accident that changed can be measured without the meter itself business for Greg May, president and CEO of actually carrying high voltage, offering Two Sockets -Two Meters (TSTM). In 1996, maximum protection from lightning and other a meter on an irrigation site in Nebraska destructive over-voltage conditions. It was a exploded, nearly killing two linemen. May, an solution that would change the industry for experienced engineer, owned a meter service the better, but May knew that getting into company in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when larger companies would be difficult. To help, he heard about the incident. It was then that he turned to the team at DSG. he thought, “something “I had a good working needed to change.” relationship with DSG He came up with an before starting TSTM, idea to prevent these and I felt that it was a devastating accidents natural fit,” says May. “The with high-voltage meters. team at DSG not only After months of design, understands the utility research and practical industry, but has always testing, May’s solution been a strong distributor was developed – a of meters, as well. voltage transformer This is a very specialized called the VT-Pack. area of the industry, Coming up with the and not many salespeople product, however, was know that aspect as the easy part. well as DSG.” “The utility industry Since the company’s isn’t easy to break into,” start, TSTM’s VT-Pack TSTM VT-Packs are fully compatible with says May. “A product has revolutionized virtually all AMR systems. needs to go through metering safety and extensive testing and quality control before accuracy. TSTM has now created 11 versions of putting it on the market – a lengthy and the VT-Pack that consist of one, two or three expensive process.” toroidally wound, highly accurate transformers.

But with funds from May’s meter service They are now being used in 50 states, as well company and the help of some unlikely friends, as Canada and the Bahamas.

TSTM and its specialized VT-Pack was born.

“DSG has done an amazing job at helping us “One of TSTM’s direct competitors recognized open doors to new markets,” says May. “Our the invention as extremely important,” says May. customers now include American Electric “They had the equipment and the funds to Power (AEP), the largest investor-owned utility do the testing of the product, and because in the United States, as well as the largest they felt so strongly that this was good for electric cooperative in the U.S. and the the industry, they generously helped us out.” fastest-growing municipality in the U.S. They In 1997, one year after May recognized the all recognize the need for safety in the industry, need for a specialized product, the VT-Pack and that’s exactly what VT-Packs provide.” was put on the market.

The future for TSTM seems just as bright.

The VT-Pack lowers the voltage within the While the metering industry moves further meter, while still allowing for accurate toward Automated Meter Reading (AMR) measurements. In other words, high voltage systems, TSTM is right there next to them.

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

UTILITY Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

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Ernie Leesch Says Goodbye After A Successful Career

UTILITY 20

After more than 40 years working in the electrical and utility industries, DSG’s Ernie Leesch is ready to spend more time with his family. He will be retiring from DSG in May 2011. Leesch began at DSG a little over eight years ago, after an already extensive career in the utility industry.

As an outside sales associate at DSG, Leesch has customers throughout South Dakota, and spends much of his time on the road to see them. He says it’s what he’ll miss the most.

“My favorite part of the job is the people I get to work with,” says Leesch. “I’ll miss the friends that I’ve made the most, both co-workers and customers.” In fact, some of Leesch’s customers have worked with him for his entire 40-year career.

“I started as an electrical lineman and worked my way up,” says Leesch. “Many of the customers that I work with at DSG, I’ve worked with from the start. Over the years, I’ve watched them grow, and I’m proud to call them my friends.”

In an ever-changing industry, Leesch has managed to stay at the top of his game. He continues to study the ins and outs of new technology, offering innovative solutions to the challenges facing his customers. He has also helped to train DSG’s employee owners, educating them about the latest products on the metering side of the utility industry.

“I’ve enjoyed the challenge of the industry,” says Leesch. “Products are continuously changing as the industry is constantly moving forward, so we always have to be in the know.” However, Leesch says, he’s ready for the future outside of the industry.

“After 42 years, I’m ready to retire,” says Leesch. “I am looking forward to doing some traveling and spending time with my family.”

Leesch plans on spending his retirement journeying across the U.S. and Germany to visit his seven children and three grandchildren.

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21

DSG Education Connection Fund Awards Three $1,000 Scholarships!

CONNECTIONS

DSG has awarded scholarships to three individuals who are furthering their education in the trade industries. Each winner received $1,000 to use toward his education. This year’s winners are Wade Wright from Armour, South Dakota; Seth Allen from Mitchell, South Dakota; and Benjamin Miller from St. Paul, Minnesota. Each of these individuals is planning to pursue a career in the electrical industry.

The DSG Education Connection Fund was established in order to encourage young people who wish to become electricians, plumbers, utility workers, HVAC technicians or other tradespeople. By supporting the industries it serves, DSG helps to promote a successful future for everyone involved.

To find out more about the DSG Education Connection Fund and how to apply for scholarships, go online to www.dsgfund.com.

DSG Kids Club: Fresh New Look, Same Great Fun! Through interactive games, exciting contests and cool prizes, the DSG Kids Club makes learning fun! Now, DSG Kids Club is keeping kids connected with a colorful new web site! The redesigned site launched in the spring of 2010, and is the place for kids to download contest game pages, meet the kids club mascot, learn about DSG and register for the club! It’s an exciting way for kids ages 5 to 12 to learn all about the industries that DSG serves.

Che ck o ut the

www

new lo ok and the latest contest at

.dsgkid

22 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

sclub.com.

Since joining the DSG team in November 2004, Mike Place has gained a great deal of experience in a relatively short amount of time. Starting in the Bismarck, North Dakota, branch, he quickly advanced to warehouse supervisor. He has also had the opportunity to help out in other areas of the business as well. Now Place is excited about a new role at DSG – that of training manager for the entire company! Place is now responsible for overseeing all of the training done for DSG employee owners. He will continue to work out of the Bismarck office, but he will serve all locations.

“I’m excited to help to define this new position at DSG,” says Place. “I like helping people, and I like helping people build their skills. I’m now able to offer opportunities to my fellow employee owners to do just that.”

In his new position, Place will work with branch managers to decide the best training programs for DSG employees. He will then work with the individuals to encourage and develop further training opportunities.

“I want to be proactive and emphasize the importance of continued training,” says Place.

Proactive is the key word for Place. In fact, he is already looking toward the future of DSG. In the next two to five years, Place says he’d like to develop a program where curriculums would be set for each job at DSG. Each curriculum would include training for people who seek to build their skills in their job. There would also be curriculums in place for individuals looking to gain qualifications for other jobs at DSG. “At DSG, we encourage every employee owner to take advantage of training,” says Place.

“The more knowledge you have, the more trusted in your position you become, with both customers and co-workers.”

When Place isn’t busy planning for the future of DSG training, he’s keeping busy at home. He is an avid outdoorsman, whether that means fishing, boating, camping or hiking.

He also enjoys reading, is an aspiring author and enjoys playing music.

CONNECTIONS

Get To Know Mike Place, DSG’s New Training Manager

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

23

COMMUNICATIONS

DSG Communications Group “That’s not my job.”

Those four words just aren’t in our vocabulary here at DSG. Since our goal is to satisfy our customers, anything we can do to accomplish that is most definitely “our job.” That’s why we work so hard to find solutions for our customers, even when those solutions may be outside of our comfort zone. It’s also why we choose to partner with companies like Power Product Services, who we feature in this issue.

When you read the story about how DSG worked with Consolidated Telephone and Power Product Services, you’ll get a close-up

look at a project that took a little bit of “outside-the-box” thinking. You’ll also see some photos that illustrate just how far out of the box Power Product Services has gone to help customers succeed. I’m not sure, but I think this is the first time a Connections magazine has featured a helicopter and burros on the same page!

If it helps our customers to succeed, it’s our job. In almost every issue, we feature a story about DSG doing something in a new way, finding a product that no one else has considered or connecting parts of a puzzle that end in a solution that succeeds beyond expectations. It’s not because we’re smarter than everyone else. It’s because we work with good people. Then we work with them to train our customers. We partner with innovative manufacturers to provide outstanding products.

Then we put it all together – and we never say “That’s not my job.”

I’ll admit we don’t hit a home run every time.

But we work hard at what we do, and that can make all the difference on a challenging project.

Next time you have a project, give us a call here at DSG. We’ll meet the challenge together.

Leigh Trosen

Communications Group Manager

24

There’s nothing much worse than when the power goes out at home – no TV, no computer, no lights. Now, imagine that happening tenfold at a central office for a communications provider – no cable, no internet, no phone for thousands of people. It’s not a situation that anyone wants to be in, but if proper backup precautions are made, it’s one that can be avoided. Power Product Services helps communications providers avoid these types of situations every day.

Power Product Services is in the business of providing DC backup power. When commercial power fails, Power Product Services is the company that has the products and services

that keep critical power loads up and running.

They do it all – products, installation, testing, disposal – and they work with all ranges of critical loads, from small teleco cabinets to large power plants.

This innovative company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, was established in 1990 by Dean Laliberte and Tom Broschinsky, who realized the need for the installation, testing and service of backup power products. It was indeed an issue that required attention, and the two men quickly discovered that their continued on page 26

Power Product Services has been teaming up with DSG for more than two decades. (Left to right: Dale Olson, DSG inside sales; Chad Devier, DSG outside sales; Dean Laliberte, owner of Power Product Services; and Leigh Trosen, DSG Communications Group manager).

COMMUNICATIONS

With Backup Like This, The Power Is Always On

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

25

continued from page 25

COMMUNICATIONS

services were in high demand. Today, Power Product Services employs more than 35 team members in more than five states and has customers across the country.

With the trend of increasing fiber to the home (FTTH) and the growth of inverted power in the communications industry, DC power and battery backup has become more critical. “Upgrading your battery backup is a plan every communications provider should consider, if he or she hasn’t done so already,” says Chad Devier, outside salesman for DSG. “As many of us know, the phone company isn’t the phone company anymore. It’s also the internet and cable provider, which means the central office needs more battery backup than ever before.”

To help keep its customers powered up, Power Product Services has aligned itself with the DSG Communications Group. DSG supplies about 90 percent of Power Product Services’ day-to-day installation equipment. “DSG is really key to our business,” says Laliberte. “In addition

to its experienced staff and comprehensive selection, DSG’s locations are convenient for our Midwestern customers. The result is that no one has to wait for materials. We can keep our crews busy and our deadlines intact.”

Power Product Services has a lot in common with DSG, particularly a strong commitment to customer service. It proved that commitment recently when the two companies worked together on a project for Consolidated Telephone in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Consolidated Telephone needed a new power plant, inverter and batteries – a typical project that Power Product Services takes on every day. However, this one was different. Before Power Product Services could go to work, a “few” things needed to be addressed. The iron infrastructure needed to be replaced, and so did the fiber ducts and the cable. Basically, the central office needed to be rebuilt.

Consolidated Telephone’s central office is not small. It has 7,200 amps running through it.

Taken with the fact that Power Product Services

Power Product Services goes to any length to provide DC power, just as it did delivering batteries and a power plant to a customer in Arizona.

26 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

BEFORE

Power Product Services transformed the central office of Consolidated Telephone in Brainerd, Minnesota.

COMMUNICATIONS

normally doesn’t deal with infrastructure like racks, ducts and cable, it’s easy to see how the project seemed like a challenge. “We’ve never rebuilt a central office before, and at first, I really questioned whether or not it could be done,” says Laliberte. “Thankfully, DSG was able to help us out, and our team did outstanding work. Everything looks great, and most importantly, our customer is very happy.”

Overall, DSG supplied more than 10,000 feet of cable, ranging in size from #6 to 535 MCM, as well as large quantities of fiber duct and ladder racking.

With this project as an indicator, it becomes clear that the relationship between Power Product Services and DSG will only continue to strengthen in the future. “Our goal is to grow our business exponentially, and we know that in order to do that, we need to do it with DSG,” Laliberte says. Just as Power Product Services provides backup power, DSG backs up Power Product Services. When you have support like that, more success stories are bound to take place.

AFTER

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

27

COMMUNICATIONS

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28

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

As you may know, the name of this magazine has two meanings. First of all, it describes many of the products that we sell. That is, much of what DSG supplies serves to connect things, like pipes and wires and everything in between.

We sell a lot of connections. But we also make a lot of connections. That’s the second meaning of this magazine’s title, and in some ways, it’s the more important of the two.

In the upcoming pages, you’ll read a story about how American Standard is reaching out to contractors, using a unique tool to give them a hands-on look at innovative new products. But that’s not the only way that DSG’s customers get connected to manufacturers. At DSG, we work very hard

to do more than just supply our customers.

Instead, we learn about the products we sell. We establish close relationships with manufacturers. We train our people. We train our customers. Then we put them together in events that range from the serious (such as manufacturer “lunch and learns”) to the hilarious (golf outings and fishing trips).

The more you think about it, the more it becomes clear that DSG itself is the connection – and not by accident. After all, the more our customers know about the products they use and install, the easier it is for them to succeed. The more we can help our customers connect to end-users, the more satisfied every part of the equation becomes. The better we’re trained, the better we can give our customers the support they need to grow their businesses.

Connections isn’t just a title. It’s more of a philosophy. It starts with relationships, moves to knowledge, adds training and then finally includes products – only to start the cycle again by reinforcing relationships after the sale.

We’re all connected – and I don’t mean that in a metaphysical, “self-help” kind of way. I mean that projects can’t be done right unless all of us – from manufacturers to suppliers to contractors – work together.

You can trust DSG to make that happen.

MECHANICAL

DSG Mechanical Group

Ryan Tracy

Mechanical Group Manager Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

29

MECHANICAL 30 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

When it comes to water conservation products, American Standard is ahead of the game – and it is spreading the conservation word. In April 2010, American Standard began its Responsible Bathroom Water Conservation Tour, promoting its innovative products in an innovative way.

Driving across the nation in two full-size showroom trucks, American Standard made more than 300 stops from April to November showcasing its water-efficient products to wholesalers, plumbers and consumers.

“The focus of the tour is to show everyone American Standard’s growing selection of products that drastically save on water consumption without sacrificing performance,” says Chris Soderholm, president of Soderholm & Associates and a manufacturers representative for American Standard. “The regulations for water consumption levels are constantly changing, and American Standard understands the importance of being one step ahead.”

It all started in the early 1990s when the federal government established aggressive regulations designed to bring down the water consumption level on toilets to a maximum of

1.6 gallons per flush. Initially, manufacturers struggled to provide maximum performance with these new water limitations. American Standard, however, has done just that, and as the industry continues to raise the bar for water usage efficiency, it has continued to create products that meet and exceed industry standards.

“Through its research and development department, American Standard has established a platform of products that are unparalleled in the marketplace,” says Soderholm. “For example, the maximum flushing test for a toilet is 1,000 grams – American Standard has 197 models that exceed that benchmark, while still meeting the consumption level of 1.6 gallons per flush.”

With the help of distributors like DSG, the American Standard Tour has garnered significant media attention as it has made stops in towns across the U.S., including three DSG locations: Sioux Falls, Mitchell and Rapid City, South Dakota. continued on page 32

MECHANICAL

Conserving Water One Town At A Time

American Standard showcased its water-efficient products in two full-size showroom trucks.

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

31

continued from page 31

MECHANICAL

“Nearly all of our events have had local news coverage,” says Soderholm. “At locations such as Sioux Falls, DSG played a big part in marketing the event and getting attention from not only plumbers and consumers, but from mechanical engineers as well.”

Mechanical engineers play a significant role in what products are used in new construction.

New buildings are constantly searching for ways to gain LEED certification, and the main source of LEED point contribution for heating and plumbing is water conservation. Mechanical engineers find products that provide LEED points and then draft plans for architects working on buildings. The American Standard Tour offered an easy way for mechanical engineers to see some of the newest, most efficient products on the market.

While the tour provided an innovative way for wholesalers, plumbers and contractors to see how beneficial it is to conserve water, the tour also showed how important relationships between manufacturers and distributors like DSG are.

“DSG is an independent distributor, which allows us to have a close relationship with them,” says Soderholm. “DSG’s employee owners are especially qualified to teach contractors about how our products fit into their jobs. The better everyone is trained, the better the end result is for everyone.”

“DSG plays an important role in delivering our products and satisfying both contractors and consumers,” he adds. “They are a big part of our future, and without a doubt, they are out on the cutting edge of where this industry is headed.”

To find out more about the tour, go online to www.theresponsiblebathroomtour.com.

®

32 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

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MECHANICAL

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Provide your customers with efficiency and savings they’ll love. Contact your local DSG today!

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Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

33

Meet St. Paul’s Mechanical Team In June 2009, DSG added a mechanical division to its St. Paul, Minnesota, branch. The St. Paul mechanical team brings years of HVAC and plumbing

Years in the industry: 24

Favorite memory at DSG: My favorite memory is taking a part in the Action Selling training with my outside sales team. This was six months of training that helped the team develop best practices for improving our interaction with customers.

Hobbies: I love to cook and travel.

In the winters, I enjoy skiing and snowboarding.

D

er, Branch M l l i an M ag n a

illiams, Insid W n eS w a a

les

D

of knowledge, products and experience to DSG’s St. Paul customers.

er

MECHANICAL

experience to DSG, enabling continued growth for DSG and a greater range

Years in the industry: 20 What do you do that benefits customers?

My customers benefit because I provide them with my full attention, and I follow through to ensure they are provided with solutions to all of their questions.

Hobbies: I love to golf and go out to dinner.

Favorite TV show: Dancing with the Stars

r, Warehouse Co o d ord Lin i Years in the industry: 30

tor na

Jim

Favorite sports team: Minnesota Twins

What do you do that benefits customers?

As a warehouse coordinator, I ensure that everything is out on time, and that orders are placed and distributed accurately.

Favorite TV show: Two and a Half Men Favorite sports team: All of the Minnesota teams

34 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

ler, Inside g n E Sa etz les i D Years in the industry: 35 Favorite part about working at DSG: I really enjoy working with the range of product offerings that DSG has.

I also enjoy working with a solid, growing company.

Favorite TV show: CSI Miami Favorite sports team: Minnesota Twins

rter, Outside o P Sa ike le M

s

s

son, Outside l O Sa ark le M Years in the industry: More than 30

Years in the industry: 30

Hobbies: I enjoy riding my motorcycle.

I try and go on at least one week-long trip a year.

Hobbies: I enjoy going pheasant, grouse and deer hunting.

Favorite TV show: Two and a Half Men

Years in the industry: 15 What do you do that benefits customers?

I keep my customers up to speed on new opportunities for them, and I provide them with solutions as quickly as possible.

im

Donald, Inside c M Sa Years in the industry: 15

l

es

s

ndra, Outside i J Sa ike le M

T

Favorite sports team: Minnesota Vikings

What do you do that benefits customers?

I’m able to provide my customers with a good working knowledge of the industry and the products that we offer them. At DSG, we work as a team, so that we can use each other as a resource to help our customers in an efficient manner.

Hobbies: My wife and I own Harleys, so we do a lot of motorcycle riding. We also enjoy spending time outdoors.

Favorite TV show: Rubicon Favorite sports team: Minnesota Twins

MECHANICAL

Favorite memory at DSG: The completion of our Action Selling training – an intensive sales course with a certification test at the end. It was a huge accomplishment to finish, and I can take the tools learned from the training and use them for years to come.

What do you do that benefits customers?

I work with customers to find solutions to their problems quickly and efficiently. When I don’t have an answer, I will research products or work with my team until I have a solution that best fits the customer.

Years in the industry: 29

What do you do that benefits customers?

I bring customers nearly 30 years of experience to answer any technical questions they may have. I am also able look at things from a diagnostic perspective – something they may not get elsewhere.

Hobbies: I enjoy the outdoors; hunting, fishing and canoeing. I also enjoy woodworking.

Favorite winter activity: Broomball

ker, Outside a B Sa ve le a D Years in the industry: 15

s

Technical , n o Sal s l i es W /

ce rvi Se

Mi ke

Favorite TV show: The Big Bang Theory

Favorite memory at DSG: My favorite memory at DSG is actually happening right now. We are in the middle of bringing plumbing products into the St. Paul branch, which we’ve been working on for the past year. It’s been a big undertaking, and it will be great for the branch and for our customers.

Hobbies: I like to golf in the summer and play hockey in the winter.

Favorite sports team: Gopher Hockey

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

35

METERING TECHNOLOGY

DSG Metering Technology Have you ever noticed that being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting a lot done?

Everyone has those days where you go home and feel like you did a lot of work but made very little progress. There are some jobs in the world where this is an everyday occurrence.

In my estimation, there are several ways to remedy this problem (and it is a problem – just ask anybody who punches the clock on one of these jobs each day). First, you can try to work faster. If you’re working efficiently already, though, this doesn’t help much.

Second, you can try to change how the job is

done. That helps, but only so much. I like option three the most: Change the job itself.

The metering story in this issue illustrates how a fixed network AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) system can do just that. Instead of working harder or even working smarter, more and more municipalities and utilities are letting a GALAXY system from Badger Meter simply do the work for them. The results are the same (and in some ways, better), but without the time-consuming job of collection. Smart, hardworking people are freed up to do jobs that allow them to put those qualities to good use.

The first step in making a positive change like this is to find a partner that understands your challenges and has the experience to put together innovative solutions. DSG does that and more. This issue of Connections does a good job of illustrating just how committed we are to training and supporting your people, along with educating and empowering our own people to serve you better. By making everyone smarter and better at their jobs, DSG works to make every job a success.

We’re not just committed to the products we sell, we’re committed to the people we sell those products to.

Steve Mereness

Metering Technology Group Manager 36

When it comes to reading meters, efficiency is the key – especially if reading can go from taking 10 days to automatically being read every six hours. For four southwestern Minnesota communities, switching out their meter reading systems to the new Badger GALAXY Fixed Network System has made a world of difference, not only in the amount of time it takes to read meters, but also in billing accuracy and leak detection.

Overall, it has allowed everyone to focus their time on important projects rather than on reading meters.

Edgerton, Minnesota “Prior to the Badger GALAXY system, we would send out meter cards on a quarterly basis and ask our residents to go to the meter in their basement, read the meter and send in the card,” says Mary Kreun, part-time billing clerk in Edgerton, Minnesota. “We would then enter their data into our system and generate their invoice based on the number they gave us. So it was a very manual process.”

With about 1,000 residents, Edgerton is well known for its clean city streets and thriving Main Street business district.

Many people also remember that the little town of Edgerton won the 1960 state boys basketball championship, back before there were classes and divisions based on school size.

With the help of DSG’s Leonard Heinemann, Edgerton began switching out its old meter system with the Badger GALAXY system in the spring of 2009. The improvement in

efficiency was immediate and impressive.

“Now, when it comes to billing, the Badger GALAXY system sends the data directly to my billing software with all of the reads,” says Kreun. “It’s fantastic.”

The Badger GALAXY system is designed to transfer data from transmitters located at each water meter to the utility’s computer. With this system, there is no need for manually reading meters. Instead, meter data can be collected right at one’s desk. Edgerton isn’t the only town reaping the benefits of the system.

Luverne, Minnesota The classic American profile of Luverne, Minnesota, made it the ideal choice to be one of four U.S. towns featured in the 2007 television documentary “The War.” This county seat of Rock County, Minnesota, recently began installing the Badger GALAXY system with the help of DSG. “We’re in the process of changing out all of our meters to the Badger GALAXY system, and it’s going very smoothly,” says Al Lais, water and wastewater supervisor in Luverne. “We’re looking forward to having the system 100 percent in place. Right now, we have an employee reading every meter in town. It usually takes her about nine to 10 days each month to get the readings done, and it will be nice to do something more productive with that time.” continued on page 38

METERING TECHNOLOGY

Advancing Minnesota Into The Next Generation Of Meter Reading

Al Lais (left) and Barbara Berghorst (right) of Luverne recently began working with DSG to install the Badger GALAXY system.

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

37

continued from page 37

METERING TECHNOLOGY 38

Pipestone, Minnesota Pipestone is recognized as having one of Minnesota’s largest historic districts, with 20 distinctive buildings from the 1800s.

The town is also known for the Pipestone National Monument, which attracts those interested in seeing the sacred pipestone quarries where stone used to fashion Native American ceremonial pipes is found.

This historic city of Pipestone, Minnesota, turned to DSG two years ago when city leaders decided it was necessary to switch out their meter system. “Installing the Badger GALAXY system has made us much more efficient,” says Joel Adelman, water and wastewater supervisor in Pipestone. “Before, we had all of our residents reading their meters and sending in the numbers. With a community of 4,000, this wasn’t very efficient. We weren’t receiving meter reads on time, and each month we would have a dozen or so that wouldn’t get read at all. This ended up with us going door to door to collect the missing reads.

Now, meter reads are quick and worry free.”

Ellsworth, Minnesota Ellsworth, Minnesota, well known for its exceptional high school basketball program, also began working with DSG recently. “Prior to this system, we had our guys going around

to each house. We’re a community of 518, so it took an entire day each month,” says Dawn Huisman, city clerk for Ellsworth. “We went from manual reading to the best meter reading system available, and what a difference it has made! Now we have all of the data right at our fingertips all the time.”

With more important things to focus on, like sending the Ellsworth Panthers to the Minnesota Boys State Basketball Championship for the sixth consecutive year, the city of Ellsworth has been impressed by the increased efficiency and accuracy of the meter reading system. “It’s pretty amazing,” says Huisman with a smile.

AMI Makes All The Difference Not only have these communities seen a significant difference in meter reading efficiency, they say it’s been good for water conservation, as well. “With the Badger GALAXY system, we can watch water consumption on a daily basis, which helps us determine if a customer has a possible leak,” says Barbara Berghorst, finance director for Luverne. “You could never do that before.”

“We’ve designed the system with parameters that show us important usage data on a daily basis,” says Kreun. “For example, we ask it to report any homes that use more than 500 Joel Adelman and the city of Pipestone turned to DSG two years ago to increase their meter reading efficiency.

Courtesy of Mark Foley.

METERING TECHNOLOGY

gallons a day. We also look at meters that show usage for 23 of 24 hours a day, which typically means a leak of some kind. When we see these trends lasting for several days, we may call our residents to advise them of the excessive water usage. Many of our residents are surprised that a toilet that is stuck running all day can use 5,000 to 6,000 gallons of water.

Many of our residents have been very appreciative of the new system, since before, it could take months to identify problems.”

These Minnesota communities all agree that installing the Badger GALAXY system was a smart solution. They also agree that they couldn’t have worked with a better crew than Leonard Heinemann and his team at DSG. “We’ve been working with DSG and Leonard for a long time now,” says Pipestone’s Adelman.

“I couldn’t imagine turning to anyone else when looking for metering solutions.”

“It’s not about money for DSG,” adds Ellsworth’s Huisman. “It’s about satisfying customers’ needs.”

As more and more utilities turn to DSG to help them update their metering, it becomes clear that these changes aren’t only about technology. They are about partnerships, and the freedom they bring to everyone involved.

With the help of DSG, Dawn Huisman and the city of Ellsworth are now able to automatically collect meter readings on a daily basis.

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

39

Leonard Heinemann Outside Sales, Sioux Falls, SD

METERING TECHNOLOGY 40

When it comes to metering technology for the waterworks industry, Leonard Heinemann has seen it all. After graduating from South Dakota State, Heinemann spent 18 years working for rural water systems before taking a job with DSG. That was in 1995.

“It was interesting when I started working at DSG,” says Heinemann. “Working with rural water systems, you have tunnel vision – you only see the systems you work with. When I came to DSG, I realized that some communities didn’t even have water meters. They pumped water, and that was it.”

As the years passed, regulations became stricter, and water systems were required to treat their water, which added significant cost. The next logical step was for all water systems to employ meters, and for those meters to be accurate.

“Communities couldn’t afford to just use taxes to pay for water because everyone uses

different amounts – especially with agriculture,” says Heinemann. “Meters saved the day. It was the first thing I sold to many of my customers.”

Heinemann has since helped his customers move from meters to local read systems to automatic meter reading systems, always trying to provide them with the most efficient way to read meters and save money. Now, he’s showing his customers the ultimate in meter reading technology – the Badger GALAXY Fixed Network System. This system allows customers to read meters, detect leaks and tell if a meter has stopped working, all from the comfort of their office.

“I’ve experienced the evolution of the metering system firsthand,” says Heinemann, “and I’m proud to be able to provide my customers with the most up-to-date systems.”

“Leonard is one of the best salesmen we’ve ever had,” says Dawn Huisman, city clerk for the city of Ellsworth, Minnesota. “I like people who are honest, and that’s something you find in everyone at DSG, especially Leonard.

He’s been great, he’s not a high-pressure salesman and if we ever have a problem, he’s there for us immediately.”

Heinemann credits his understanding in the waterworks industry for his ability to provide customers with the best options for their water system. He isn’t working to sell a system, he’s working to provide his customers with a solution, and he’s proud to do that each and every day.

“This is the best time of my life,” says Heinemann. “I really enjoy what I’m doing at work and getting to know each of my customers.”

In his free time, Heinemann and his wife do their best to keep up with their three children and four (soon to be five) grandchildren.

Fixed Network Meter Reading Saves You More

By Letting You Work Less

• Efficiency!

Without the need for employees to leave the office to read meters, you’ll be saving time and money. High-powered meter transmitters work with an easy-to-deploy network of receivers to send important metering data directly to the utility’s desktop every six hours, ensuring you get accurate information from the comfort of your office.

• Flexibility!

Transmitters are available in a single configuration for pit or remote applications, and multiple receiver backhaul options include Cellular, Wi-Fi and LAN.

• Security!

Leak and tamper alerts are sent with each transmitter broadcast. The system quickly flags vandalized transmitters or accounts, assisting with conservation efforts.

Get the tools to accurately read meters from the comfort of your office. Contact DSG today!

METERING TECHNOLOGY

Through the Badger GALAXY Fixed Network AMI System, Badger Meter continues to improve utility operations, increase job productivity and save you money through:

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

41

WATERWORKS

DSG Waterworks Group Where do ideas come from? Some ideas seem to come from nowhere, sparked to life in the minds of great thinkers like da Vinci and Edison and Einstein. But these are the exceptions, I think. A lot of great ideas – innovative, beneficial, productive ideas – come from good old-fashioned hard work. These kinds of ideas aren’t any less important, especially if you and your organization happen to reap the benefits that result from putting them into action.

DSG is full of people who love ideas. We search them out. We gather them. We develop

them. We challenge them. We grow them.

Then, we pass them on to our customers.

Ideas can be products or services. They can be processes or programs. They can be something small, like telling a customer about a new technology, or big, like a company-wide commitment to training and education.

Great ideas can come to life through collaboration. Take this issue’s story about the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems (SDARWS). By working closely with DSG, the SDARWS has been able to offer something valuable to its members (data regarding leak detection, among other things) that might have been impossible without such teamwork.

It’s good to have a partner that values the power of ideas as much as you do. I’m proud of all of the work we do here at DSG, but I’m especially fond of the times when we build a basic concept into something more, when we take the seed of an idea and grow it into a real-life application that benefits everyone involved.

That’s when a partnership with DSG is worth the most – and it happens every day.

Kevin Paulson

Waterworks Group Manager

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Twenty years ago, it could take weeks or even months to detect a leak in a municipality’s water pipes – and in some instances, it wouldn’t be found at all. Today, the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems is working with DSG to identify leaks quickly and accurately all around the Mount Rushmore State.

The main mission at the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems is to provide high-quality service and support the collective efforts of their water and wastewater members.

It was this mission that led them to consider a unique way of solving a very old problem – leaks.

“We worked with DSG to develop a traveling leak-detection trailer. It helps us accurately identify why a water system is suffering from loss,” says Dennis Davis, executive director at the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems. “We bring the trailer into the community, hook it up to a hydrant and temporarily shut off the water to that particular section of town. Then we identify the leak by pressure testing the system.”

The pressure test first isolates the trailer from the rest of the water system. Then, through the hydrant connection, it slowly increases the pressure until it matches the system’s maximum

The South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems’ leak-detection trailer is designed to pressure test water systems up to 100 psi.

pressure limit. After the pressure is at its limit, the team watches the flow rate through their meter system, located in the trailer.

“What we are looking for is low to zero flow through our meters,” says Davis. “If we are getting a flow of more than one to two gallons a minute, we have a possible leak.”

The team continues to test each section of town with the trailer to ensure accuracy. All of the data is collected into a computer system that is inside of the trailer. With the help of a GPS, the data shows the flow rates at each location. With that information, the team can determine exactly where leaks are occurring and go from there.

This current leak detection trailer is the logical evolution of a similar trailer the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems had designed five years prior. However, the original trailer didn’t have all of the capabilities of today’s iteration. “As technology got better and as our experience and knowledge of how to test leaks grew, we knew we could be saving significant dollars with a new system,” says Davis. “We contacted DSG, and we told them exactly what continued on page 44

WATERWORKS

Saving South Dakota– One Leak At A Time

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

43

continued from page 43

WATERWORKS

we wanted – the size of the trailer, a 500-gallon capacity and a 100 psi pump.”

They also wanted the ability to chemically treat the water going out, as well as the ability to efficiently collect all of the data into a computerized system. So Davis and his team sat down with the folks at DSG to design an integrated system that met all of the requirements and included a user-friendly control scheme. The result? A one-of-a-kind leak-detection system that also has the ability to chlorinate water and pump 40-45 gallons of water per minute in an emergency.

So far, reaction from members of the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems

Morris Elcock (left), east river circuit rider, and Dennis Davis (right), executive director of the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems, worked with DSG to design this one-of-a-kind leak-detection system that also tests and chlorinates water.

Since it was put into service, the trailer has: • Super-chlorinated a new mainline construction • Serviced 12 systems • Identified service lines that had leaks down to .27 gpm • Identified mainlines with leaks up to 8 gpm • Utilized its hydrostatic pump to pressure test mainlines •

44

has been overwhelmingly positive. “We knew immediately that DSG was the right place for us to get this done,” says Davis. “If you can dream it, they can do it. Especially when it comes to water system controls.”

Now this marvel of modern waterworks technology is making its way across South Dakota, saving utilities money by stopping leaks and helping the environment by conserving water. To those it helps, it has become an important source of data and solutions. To those responsible for its creation, it has become a symbol of what happens when good people work toward a common goal.

Been used to pressure up a fire hydrant to prevent inoperability during an emergency

WATERWORKS

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For more information on Grundfos pumps, contact DSG. Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

45

Chad Pudwell Inside Sales, Rapid City, SD

WATERWORKS 46 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

For Chad Pudwell, the waterworks industry seemed like a natural fit.

After all, it’s a business he’s known his entire life. Like many of his friends, Pudwell helped out his father as he grew up in the small town of Herreid, South Dakota. However, unlike his friends, Pudwell wasn’t helping out on a farm – his dad worked as a plumber and excavator.

“As a kid, I’d grab a shovel, jump in a hole and help my dad lay some sewer pipe,” says Pudwell. “However, these days, I’d rather be selling the product than installing it.”

Pudwell began working as DSG’s main waterworks salesperson in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 2009. He came to Rapid City after working in the waterworks industry in Bismarck, North Dakota.

“I was ready for a change, and Rapid City is quite different than Bismarck,” says Pudwell.

“My background is almost exclusively in waterworks,” he adds. “But waterworks isn’t the only thing we sell at this branch of DSG. I’ve had to learn more of the mechanical side of the industry, and it has been an exciting challenge.”

Pudwell also says the landscape in Rapid City has made the industry drastically different from other areas where he has worked. “Rapid City has one of the toughest specs in the nation,” says Pudwell.

“What we have here is called hot soil, which really corrodes metals. We have to put special coatings on everything.”

The waterworks industry in Rapid City is also moving toward using more epoxy and PVC pipes, which hold strong in the soil and can be fused together with heat, rather than gaskets and joints.

“I learn something new every day,” says Pudwell.

“And I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

When Pudwell isn’t working as Rapid City’s go-to waterworks guy, he’s spending time with his wife and two children.

Tyler Smith

While Tyler Smith has been with DSG since 2002, he’s just recently joined the waterworks outside sales team in Sioux Falls. It is a change that Smith is excited about.

“I initially started in the warehouse at DSG’s Aberdeen branch,” says Smith. “Nine months later, I was moved to waterworks inside sales in Sioux Falls. Now, I’m moving to outside sales, which means I get to put faces to the voices of customers that I’ve been working with over the years. I’m really enjoying it.”

The change from inside to outside sales has created longer days for Smith and new challenges to face, but he wouldn’t change a thing. “I’m still developing a plan on the best way to cover my territory,” says Smith.

“For example, I can work my way out to Pierre, spend the night and work my way back. Whatever helps me to spend the most time helping my customers.”

Smith enjoys being able to interact with his customers face to face. As he does so, he is developing even more new relationships in the process.

“I’m not a high-pressure salesman by any means,” says Smith. “I’d rather build a relationship with my customers and earn their trust. I want them to know that I’m there to help them, 100 percent.”

In outside sales for the Waterworks Group, Smith is able to interact with municipalities, contractors, well drillers and rural water associations. His goal is to develop partnerships with new customers, as well as provide them with innovative new ideas to make their jobs easier.

“We’re not the big guys,” says Smith. “So we have to do the best we can for each and every one of our customers. Plus, unlike our competition, we can provide them with the pipes, valves and fittings for their waterworks projects. In fact, we can even provide them with the lights for their shop, as well.”

When Smith isn’t traveling across South Dakota, he enjoys spending time with his family. He is also honing his woodworking skills. He’s especially good at building cribs – just two years ago, he made three of them when he and his wife had triplets.

WATERWORKS

Outside Sales, Sioux Falls, SD

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

47

DSG Mitchell Shows Off Its DSG Kids Club Spirit!

CONNECTIONS

In order to build awareness of DSG’s Kids Club, DSG challenged its branches to show off their creativity through the Ultimate Display Contest.

Branches were provided with a large DSG Kids Club sign, membership applications, contest game pages and an assortment of the cool prizes that the club has given away through the years.

They were then given one month to construct an attention-grabbing display using these items.

DSG teams were asked to display their creations in the city desk area.

Unique displays were created in many of DSG’s locations. In the end, the prize for the DSG Kids Club display ultimately went to the Mitchell, South Dakota, branch. For their hard work, construction skills and creativity, each employee owner at the Mitchell branch city desk was given a $50 gift certificate.

Mitchell

Pierre

Minot

DSG Creates A Home Run Presentation!

DSG belongs to the Embassy Group, a nationwide plumbing and HVAC distributor organization that offers strength in numbers to its members.

Mechanical Group Manager Ryan Tracy was honored to share a brief history and overview of DSG to other Embassy Group members in August of 2010, and he decided that a multimedia show was just the way to do it. The result was a 16-minute video filled with DSG’s long and colorful history, as well as a “greatest hits” selection of successful projects from all of the various DSG Groups.

Check out a portion of the video on www.dakotasupplygroup.com/history.

48 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

Improve Your Business In One Day At DSG Power Tools 2011!

[

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February 1 | Best Western Ramkota Hotel • Sioux Falls, SD February 3 | Arrowwood Resort • Alexandria, MN February 4 | Ramada Plaza & Suites • Fargo, ND

For more information, visit www.dakotasupplygroup.com or contact DSG.

DSG’s P4 Learning Lab Is Ready To Power Up Profitability In The Spring Of 2011!

CONNECTIONS

Designed for owners, managers and key associates, this one-of-a-kind, one-day training session is packed with business strategies, tips on human resources and ideas for increasing profitability. These unique sessions will help contractors reach new heights.

Make plans now to attend DSG’s annual business-building educational event. Featuring three days of intensive business training, our P4 Learning Lab will increase profitability for business owners, managers and those thinking about going into business. Through presentations, workshops and round-table discussions from some of the country’s most respected business consultants, attendees will learn to:

• Develop profitable hourly rates • Track progress on a monthly basis • Employ the newest methods of collection, while maintaining “happy customers” • Create a profitable Service Agreement Program

Arrowwood Resort

FEBRUARY 15–17 Alexandria, MN MARCH 1–3

Ramada Plaza & Suites

MARCH 15–17

Best Western Ramkota Hotel

Fargo, ND

Sioux Falls, SD

To learn more about P4 Learning Lab, visit www.dakotasupplygroup.com or contact DSG.

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

49

DSG Takes Home Two Best Of The Best Marketing Awards From The Electrical Distributor (TED) Magazine

CONNECTIONS

DSG recently attended the annual National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) AdVenture Electrical Marketing Conference where it was presented with two 2010 Best of the Best awards from TED Magazine. DSG’s Let A Pro Do It marketing campaign received the award for Integrated Promotional Campaign. DSG also received a Best of the Best award in the Publications category for its biannual Connections magazine.

TED awards are presented to the top distributors and suppliers nationwide who represent the best overall marketing practices in their respective categories. More than 360 entries from across the United States were received and reviewed by independent judges who DSG Marketing Manager Arne Breikjern work in the fields of advertising and consulting. accepted DSG’s 2010 TED awards.

Fans Like DSG! DSG is now on Facebook, offering customers, associates and vendors a place to get quick updates on events and news from DSG! See how DSG has changed through the years, hear about the newest promotions and link to the latest Spotlight newsletters all in one spot!

Check us out at www.facebook.com/dakotasupplygroup.

50 www.dakotasupplygroup.com

OK, I admit that headline is a pretty obvious statement. We’ve all heard the old chestnut there’s no “I” in “team,” but have you ever thought of how it would apply to your business? Here at DSG, we do our best to change “I” into “We” whenever we can.

The management training we’ve done over the past year (read about it on pages 4-5) has really underlined how important cooperation is to both our customers and

ourselves. The days of “business as usual” are over. It’s no longer enough to simply sell something – or buy something, for that matter. There’s a new way of thinking when it comes to business, and it’s not about sales figures or market share. It’s about creating a win-win situation with every single customer encounter.

Our culture at DSG has always been about teamwork. We are an ESOP, after all. That means that every employee is also an owner. But teamwork doesn’t just apply to the DSG team. We’re inviting you – our customers and vendors – to be a part of the team as well. The more our goals align, the easier they are to reach.

In the future, look for more discussions about the advantages that teamwork provides when you partner with DSG. We’re going to show you how much power there is in the word “we,” and how focusing on that power will benefit us all.

Tom Rosendahl

CONNECTIONS

There’s No “I” In “DSG”

President­

Winter 2011 CONNECTIONS

51

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

North Dakota: Bismarck (800) 363-7112 Fargo (800) 437-4702 Grand Forks (800) 633-2211 Minot (800) 472-2145 Williston (800) 637-0170

South Dakota: Aberdeen (800) 660-5532 Mitchell (800) 660-5534 Pierre (800) 660-5537 Rapid City (800) 660-5538 Sioux Falls Electrical (800) 540-8215 Sioux Falls Mechanical (800) 660-5528 Sioux Falls Waterworks (800) 660-5531

Minnesota:

Alexandria (800) 345-0094 Bemidji (866) 506-0280 Benson (800) 222-3181 Brooklyn Park (800) 422-7237 Burnsville (800) 325-0514 St. Paul (800) 652-9784