How DMG’s wrap-around services enable it to support customers for the entire equipment lifecycle
DMG Corporation (DMG) was founded in 1967 by three partners: Al Dokter, Don Miller, and Bill Gebbie. The company was formed with the aim to deliver the finest HVAC equipment to the Greater Los Angeles area. Since then, DMG has steadily grown from a partnership of three into a thriving sales team of over 100 members.
Isaac Simpson, Sales Director, describes how the company has evolved over that time: “The first 20 or so years were focused on providing large, site-specific custom air handling units. By 1989, the company had expanded with new locations: first in San Francisco, and then to the state capital, Sacramento. Over the years, we have continued to expand into Nevada and Hawaii.
“Around ten years ago, the company saw a shift with regard to customers’ requirements. DMG transitioned from an emphasis on specialized air handling units for data centers, hospitals, and clean rooms to providing a wrap-around, turn-key HVAC solution. The business branched out into all the other products that move heat or air into or out of a building. These include water source heat pumps, fan coil units, and chillers, as well as cooling towers and many other mechanical systems, to air distribution systems to deliver the air to the spaces served. Each of our offices is slightly different, serving their own local market niches, but across the board we are a full-service company. We have the technicians and replacement parts available to take care of equipment for its entire lifecycle. Overall, we have evolved significantly over the course of our nearly 60-year history.”
In an industry where reputation plays such a pivotal role, having a sophisticated understanding of your products is crucial and allows customers to rest assured in the knowledge that efficient solutions will be provided. Isaac reflects on the ways in which DMG stands out in the marketplace, working incredibly hard to maintain its excellent reputation, which is based, in part, on past performance. Having an incredible range of products that it stands by and knows inside out, DMG makes every effort to overcome any challenges that may emerge with a new technology, for example, so that it can deliver exactly what was promised. As a result, its customers know that DMG is not a transactional business, but one here for the long haul.
One approach that complements providing a turn-key solution is beginning conversations with clients as early in the process as possible. Isaac describes the benefits of this strategy: “We work hard to be the first phone call regardless of the type of building our customers are working with. With some owners and architects, HVAC is not a top priority. Having early conversations ensures we establish the best approach to meet the client’s priorities, whether that be first cost, energy efficiency, electrification, or reducing the HVAC physical footprint in the building. If we get into a project at the beginning, there are several different tacks we can take to help clients achieve their goals. We can identify challenges to avoid, such as changing the placement of a steel beam, for example.”
Collaborative partnerships
As the business has evolved, its service offerings have grown, as has its geographical reach. Its contemporary expansion strategy differs somewhat from a traditional acquisitional approach, though. Isaac explains the benefits of this innovative methodology: “Rather than the more traditional model of finding companies that are failing in their market and turning them around, we have joined Ambient Enterprises to partner with like-minded businesses that operate at an exceptionally high level. The benefits for DMG are that we can find businesses who operate with the same mentality, the same attention to detail, and commitment to results and customer service, and work together under the Ambient umbrella.”
As new technology emerges, it becomes increasingly important to invest in training programs. Isaac sheds some light on this process as the business has integrated the latest technologies: “We have recently integrated a CO2-based heat pump, which is a completely new technology, into a brand new decarbonization training center in San Jose, CA. It’s a fantastic technology utilizing a refrigerant that is not flammable, not toxic, and non-synthetic. It is used in various refrigeration applications in Europe, but it is still very new to the North American HVAC industry. Proper training is essential to work with this equipment because it has a different pressure and temperature curve to traditional refrigerants.
“The impact it’s already having is significant. The State of California is ready to invest, as well as a wide range of customers who are keen to be early adopters. They are clearing the path to wider adoption while enjoying the benefits; some of which include energy savings and reduced carbon footprint.”
Isaac then takes a moment to highlight some of the business’s latest investments that will open up further opportunities in the coming years: “Beyond the training and education that is aiding the push for electrification and decarbonization, we will continue seeing the benefits from recent partnerships that bolster operations in California, Nevada and Hawaii. Looking to the year ahead, we have continued to strengthen our position in order to capitalize on new opportunities that emerge. We are also facing a lot of uncertainty with regard to tariffs and other external factors, which we hope will stabilize this year, as we are part of a global supply chain and did experience some delays. There will always be disruptions, but we hope to grow even faster than last year as we focus on new markets and opportunities.”
