January 2018
Mogens’ Message REVOLUTIONIZING TWO INDUSTRIES
Adopt-a-Family EFFORTS RAISED OVER $40K
Arab Health COMING UP SOON!
Holiday Festivities DIRTTBAGS & THEIR FAMILIES CELEBRATE
DIRTT in the News NMG DEMONSTRATES THE SPEED OF DIRTT
Mogens’ Message As we conclude our 14th year in this amazing journey at DIRTT, I’d like to take this time to highlight just how far we’ve come. It would be an achievement for any company to revolutionize one industry, but we’ve taken on TWO! For the construction industry, this should have been a no-brainer from the start. But when you are in the middle of the most stagnant and inefficient industry in the world, it is obviously a tough nut to crack. But our compounding success is infiltrating and HELPING this broken system, proving the tipping point is here. Our other success story, albeit a serendipitous one, is that of manufacturing. Every other manufacturer in North America stares death-by-a-thousand-cuts in the eye, as overseas businesses outperform and under-charge for the same product. Meanwhile, we are making true made-to-order manufacturing a reality. So, what does that mean? It means we combine relationships and local know-how of regional Partner distribution with the power and speed of manufacturing – while bringing their community exactly what they want. This is the Holy Grail! This is what the entire world would like to emulate. We are the first, and so far, only! What makes us so great? How are we, who started in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, able to change not one, but two colossuses? It ain’t simple, but it is straightforward: Our Culture. People are here because they see this not as a job, but as a Purpose. Every one of us embraces the vision and sees our work as making the world a better place. That Culture isn’t a cult of personality. It is something so real it seeps into the hearts and minds of our Clients and Partners alike. Several Clients tell us, while they appreciate the method and the solutions, it’s the people they met at DIRTT, and the teams they worked with at our Partners, that made them take a stand and insist they try this Whole New Idea. Our Culture becomes their culture. Now tell me. When was the last time you felt that way about someone you did business with?
Diggin’ It
August 2017
Only a willfully blind person would think this is something that needs to change. Only someone living with 20th century “ideas” would say we should revert to Business As Usual. I’ve been saying this for 14 years… Anyone who doesn’t understand the value of having an engaged, local Partner investing millions of dollars to sell and support your business is, to put it kindly, severely lacking in any kind of business acumen. Here’s a little proof for you. The top 30 out of 100 Partners are directly responsible for 70% of DIRTT’s 2017 projects. These range from multimillion dollar projects with the world’s biggest tech companies to four-room dentist offices. (Another example of the massive game-changer our technology brings to the manufacturing industry. At no time in history could a manufacturer profitably produce custom experiences on these radically different scales.) Our Calgary DIRTT Partner, Element, is the perfect example. The only reason they’re thriving during an economic bust is having the ability to pivot no matter what the economy is doing. They went from 95% of their work in the energy sector, where they built-out huge floorplates over several stories, to medical offices, schools, government projects and even entered the hospitality sector where they are doing a 28-room renovation at a boutique hotel! Which brings me to my next topic – innovation. The world is littered with companies who decided they were king of a never-changing-hill. They stopped research and development and suddenly the bottom fell out of their business. Is this the 21st century or not?!?! If we hadn’t invested in developing solutions for healthcare in 2009, before there was a demand for it, we would be scrambling to catch up now. Instead, we are chosen by the top medical facilities in the world. A little piss-ant rolling into a multibillion-dollar empire of construction and providing outcomes better than the healthcare industry has ever experienced. The number one question I tell our DIRTTbag Reps to ask when they worry about some little fixable detail, “What would a conventional construction trade do about it?”
Diggin’ It
August 2017
NOTHING! They’d say, “That’s the way it is.” Well, there’s a new sheriff in town. Look at our integration of timber into the business. I get news stories every day saying this is the way to build. And we were the first to jump on it. Ditto for entering the world of residential – this being the biggest goal of all. My wife Nicki and I invested our own money into building a prototype DIRTT home where we live the vision every day. Several evenings each week, we have our visiting Clients come join us for dinner and tours of the house – we call Hygge. (The Danish word for company, coziness and contentment – the last one is something I’m not at all familiar with!!) While opening our home to visitors is something we want to do anyway, showing Clients a powerful demonstration of DIRTT’s long-game vision and culture makes a big impression on them. This letter is going to touch on two things I’ve never written to you about before. First, while it is clear we are only in this position because of the dedication of all Employees, Partners, Clients and Shareholders, I want to give you some insight as to how our leadership team works here at DIRTT. Most of you only see one or two of us at any one time. But it is our symbiotic relationship that sets the tone for how we perform. Certainly, our personalities are night & day different and we have different approaches to solutions – but each of us works toward the same vision and we all have the same boss: The Client. There are no silos or fiefdoms. There are no agendas for building personal success and self-aggrandizement. We are each confident in the abilities of the other and we are confident in the knowledge that every decision and proposal comes from only wanting the best for DIRTT as a whole. On that note, please join me in thanking Barrie Loberg, Geoff Gosling, Tracy Baker and Scott Jenkins. Their dedication to us all is something other companies could only dream of.
The second thing I’ve never put in an End of Year a letter is a prediction. All the truly hard work of getting past all the obstacles is behind us. I boldly predict 2018 is the year we will demonstrate the full potential of what we’ve sown. While 2017 was exciting, with some of our largest and most prestigious orders being committed for next year, 2018 will take us past the proof-of-concept stage to becoming the Poster Child for growth-fueled and profitable manufacturing while establishing ourselves as the Building Method of Choice. Thank you to all DIRTT and Ice Edge Employees who devote themselves to building this great thing of ours. Thank you to our Partners who invested and reimagined their business to build on this Whole New Idea. Thank you to our Shareholders who constantly demonstrate they believe in the vision and our approach. Thank you to our Board of Directors. While this industry and business is foreign to most of them, each time they have their quarterly meetings they harness their own instincts and skillset to do their best to faithfully support our business and our shareholders’ investments. And, finally a deep thank you to our Clients, especially those who put their necks on the line in the beginning and said, “I think we can build better!” All the best to you and your families in this Holiday Season. I can’t wait for us to share the experience of all that 2018 brings.
Happy Holidays!
Mogens
DIRTTbags and ICEcubes raise over $40k for families in need Diggin’ It
August 2017
Last month was DIRTTbags and ICEcubes’ favorite time of the year… Adopt-a-Family! Each department put on their own fundraising events to raise money for families in need during the holiday season. All the way from swear-a-thons to dog races, kitten cuddles and virtual reality games, DIRTTbags and ICEcubes raised $40,150 – and DIRTT matched every penny to donate to organizations making an impact in our community.
Enjoy this year’s story and share it with your circle:
(below) Adopted families show their appreciation
Arab Health is coming up soon Diggin’ It
August 2017
DIRTT will be back in Dubai this year for Arab Health – the Middle East’s largest healthcare expo. And this year will be better than ever. We’ll be building the structure for the show in just 3 days. Again, we will demonstrate the speed and efficiency our whole new approach to construction brings to the healthcare industry. The timber structure from last year’s show is currently sitting in a warehouse in Dubai; we’ll be reusing it and showcasing how sustainable DIRTT Timber truly is. So, what’s new this year? We’ve made several advancements in solutions for healthcare in 2017 and we’ll be integrating those into our build. And because timber is gaining major traction as the “it” building material for 2018, we’re expanding our display to include an entire timber floor. Stay tuned to the blog starting January 24th for updates on the build, the latest to come from the ICE team and more. And, check out DIRTT’s Twitter for live updates throughout the entire show.
“Your passion in how each of you are helping make a difference for your customers emanates in the way DIRTTbags interact, treat and collaborate with one another.” - Principal at an investment firm
Four things this top PR firm wants in their office space Diggin’ It
August 2017
Weber Shandwick is a global giant in the public relations business. Their ability to see trends and respond fast means their physical offices go through a lot of change. While their international facilities director used DIRTT glass fronts in other locations, she decided to us a full DIRTT solution for their Toronto offices. They went this direction for responsiveness along with cost and schedule certainty during construction. Their fourth priority was building an environmentally sustainable space. How about diverting over 90% of their waste from the landfill? Here’s their story…
DIRTT Experience gets an overhaul You asked for it! Partners and DIRTTbags shared their feedback and ideas to make DIRTT Experience more powerful and effective. We’re kicking off 2018 with an amped up DIRTT Experience course for Partners, DIRTTbags and ICEcubes! Now, with role-specific immersion. DIRTT Experience now comes in two parts, designed to be taken back-to-back: DIRTT Experience 2.0. This three-day session focuses on DIRTT’s DNA: culture, innovation and how/why we build better. It also covers how to share DIRTT with the world, with messaging tips and more. Immersive DIRTT. This two-day, role-specific immersive course immediately follows the three-day DIRTT Experience 2.0 course. Role-specific topics are assigned on a monthly rotation. Version 2.0 gets started January 2018. Register here: http://bit.ly/2CSLhP9
Diggin’ It
August 2017
Holiday festivities
Diggin’ It
August 2017
All was merry and bright at the DIRTT holiday parties in Calgary this year. The children’s party saw hundreds come together to celebrate the younger members of our DIRTT family with visits with Santa, festive activities and even tubing for those willing to brave the winter chill. The adult party brought everyone together to enjoy some holiday cheer, dance, play games, eat delicious food, and get to know each other a little better. And showing the true holiday spirit and DIRTT character, we collected eight huge bins of toys to give to The Women’s Centre in Calgary that evening. (above) DIRTT families enjoy some holiday fun. (below) DIRTTbags celebrate together at the annual holiday gathering.
Sporting clays for community Four Georgia DIRTTbags partnered with Savannah DIRTT client Bethesda Academy in their annual Sporting Clays Tournament, a major fundraiser and popular event for shooting enthusiasts and supporters of Bethesda Academy and its students. Bethesda asked DIRTT to complete a project in 2014 to build 21st century construction in their circa-1865 administration building. The DIRTT team of two Mikes (Mike Greer and Chef Mike Ratliff), Chris Steckroth and Billy Gibson didn’t win a Bethesda award, but won our “at least they showed up and shot like hell” award. And, they got points for supporting DIRTT’s community partners and clients.
Diggin’ It
August 2017
DIRTT in the news Diggin’ It
August 2017
Growth Stocks Investors Love DIRTT was featured in Yahoo Finance article Growth Stocks Investors Love. See what they have to say about the future of DIRTT. https://yhoo.it/2BQBV9N
Brand Report 2017: Readers Name Their Favorite Product Brands DIRTT was featured in Yahoo Finance article Growth Stocks Investors Love. See what they have to say about the future of DIRTT. http://bit.ly/2kwzOhN
Partners in the news Prefab to Suit: The benefits of off-site manufacturing The Kansas City Business Journal touts the benefits of pre-fabrication for construction projects highlighting DIRTT and our Partner, Built Interior Construction in a four-page cover story. http://bit.ly/2kHPYEe
Videos from our Partners: NMG demonstrates the speed of DIRTT in Kuwait DIRTT Partner NMG showcases two projects – a healthcare space and a corporate environment – they recently executed simultaneously in just 10 days! https://youtu.be/-k6mXahX28w