As we announced last week, the Dwyer president of over 35 years, Mark Fisher, recently retired.
Our team met with both Mark and Dwyer/Omega’s new president, Naoto Mizuta, to discuss Dwyer’s transition of leadership and the state of the company moving forward. Here’s what they had to say.
Mark, what enduring qualities do you hope live on at Dwyer?
Mark: The enduring qualities that we need to adhere to going forward are pertained to the core values of the organization.
For those of you that may be fairly new, I think it’s important to understand where our core values came from. It’s not something that we aspired as a management team, but something that was created within the organization. Very specifically, going back 4 or 5 years, we had groups of twenty including folks from the plants and functional departments where we came up with these. It was a long process, but we came up with these because we felt that it truly identified who we are.
The three core values are: innovation, people excellence, and spirit of winning. I feel strongly that if we continue to work on, hone, and have everybody live those core values in the organization then we’re going to rise to unprecedented levels of success.
Naoto, what aspects of Dwyer’s culture do you feel most connected with?
Naoto: I remember the first time that I was in a Dwyer facility, and I was here in Mark’s office during my interview process. At that time, Dwyer was interviewing me and trying to assess whether I was qualified, but at the same time, I was looking at Dwyer and wondering if this was the place that I wanted to spend the next part of my career. I look over and I see the core values poster on the wall, and I saw the core values that Mark just mentioned, and that really resonated with me. I said, “This is the kind of place that has the same values that I have in business and in personal life.”
So I really felt comfortable that this was a good place for me to be. When we talk about spirit of winning and creating customer value, or innovation and the fact that our technology is going to be a differentiator in the market, and of course the fact that culture always eats strategy for breakfast and it’s our people that make everything work in the organization. So having those three really line up is the basis for what Dwyer represents and a very important part of why I decided this was the next place for me to be.
Where do you see Dwyer in 5 years?
Mark: So what I see happening in the next five years… Well, I think if we look at what’s happened in the last year, that’s a pretty good indicator of what’s going to happen here in the next five years. I look at the change we’ve made, especially with the recent acquisition of Omega; and just looking at the organization, we’ve doubled in size here in a year which is pretty amazing. And it’s striving to achieve long-term goals as a leader, not looking at how we’re going to be in one to two years down the road, but how the organization will look in ten years and taking the stretch, taking the chance, challenging our people and the industry in who we feel Dwyer can truly be.
In five years, we’ll have definitely have acquired more companies. Globally, we’re already viewed as a leader in many different areas but what we have planned, and the acquisitions, it’s just going to cement that and create something that all of us in five years will be beyond our wildest dreams in terms of what we see today. You look at many organizations in terms of where they’re at in the world, and how they stagnate, and what’s very interesting here at Dwyer in the next five years is that there’s a lot of vitality, a lot of imagination, and I think there’s a lot of people that dream big. When you dream big, I think that simply helps things become a reality and the people here to make it happen. So there’s a lot to be excited for. I don’t think people should be nervous, I think they should be really excited about what the future holds for the company here in the next five years.
Naoto: I agree with Mark. I think in the next five years Dwyer, and Dwyer/Omega combined, are going to continue its history of strong growth. I see us getting closer to a billion dollars in net revenue in total. I see us being recognized as the leader of sensing and measurement technologies really helping make the world greener and more connected. I also see Dwyer/Omega being recognized as an employer of choice because of our culture, and because of the opportunities that growth delivers in terms of career opportunities.
Mark, do you have any parting words of advice for Naoto?
Mark: I know he’s already doing it, so I think it’s good news for everybody. There’s two simple things that you need to look after. One is that the customer is the most important thing in this business. You always have to keep the customer front and center. And the other thing, I think that Naoto has demonstrated clearly throughout his career, is that he’s a hands-on person. He is sensitive in terms of what is going on at the front-line in the organization. Any leader needs to be in touch with that, so you know when to pivot, when to make changes, and do things that are intuitive and instinctive. He certainly has these qualities. Those are the two major things that I carry out, and I’m 100% comfortable that’s in good hands with Naoto.
Naoto, is there anything you would like to add?
Naoto: I am very humbled by the opportunity to lead Dwyer and Dwyer/Omega. I know that I’m filling tremendous shoes, what Mark has done with the organization over his long tenure here… And what I can say is that I’ll be doing my best to add to the story and to the long history of Dwyer.