Sarasota County, Florida
Founded: 2004
DMSI, is an international manufacturing company focused on fiber optic connectivity products. We build and ship all over the world with two manufacturing facility one in Philippine and the other in Venice, Florida U.S.A.
Manufacturing
91% increase from 2018 – 2021
54% increase from 2018 – 2021
Tell us a bit about yourself. What led you to your company?
I was born and raised in a very simple family in the Philippines. In 2007, I migrated here in USA to marry the love of my life. Now, my husband of over 15 years happens to be my business partner, too.
I started my career as an Engineer and Math teacher in the Philippines for 10 years and taught here in Manatee Community College when I moved. Eventually, I gave up teaching to join and help my husband build DMSI.
After 15 years, I assumed the Lead Technology and Engineering role for DMSI and now serve as the CEO overseeing two wholly own manufacturing plants – one here in Venice Florida, and the other in the Philippines. Currently, between both locations, we are well over 100 employees.
Did you know you always wanted to be a CEO/entrepreneur?
Yes, I have always had the desire to be a part of an organization where I could use and develop my skills to the point where I was given an opportunity for growth. Being the CEO of a Hi-Tech manufacturing company was a road that required hard work, dedication, perseverance, and an inherent belief that I am significant and have a purpose.
Tell us about your business and the value it brings to your customers.
DMSI Fiber Optic products help to bridge the pathways for data to be exchanged quickly and coherently. We supply products that go into mission-critical infrastructures at end users such as The Pentagon, NSA, CIA, FBI, US Central Command, Special Operations Command, Space Force, and Army Intelligence Command to name a few. DMSI’s value to such customers is not only our quality of existing products but also custom designs that are unique and ignored by the larger manufacturers. DMSI is also a conduit for smaller companies to use to enhance their product offerings by partnering with DMSI to provide their customers with data solutions.
What value do you bring to your customers?
DMSI Fiber Optic products help to bridge the pathways for data to be exchanged quickly and coherently. We supply products that go into mission-critical infrastructures at end users such as The Pentagon, NSA, CIA, FBI, US Central Command, Special Operations Command, Space Force, and Army Intelligence Command to name a few. DMSI’s value to such customers is not only our quality of existing products but also custom designs that are unique and ignored by the larger manufacturers. DMSI is also a conduit for smaller companies to use to enhance their product offerings by partnering with DMSI to provide their customers with data solutions.
What makes your company culture unique? How do you like to lead your team?
DMSI recently won the 2022 Diversity award for Sarasota County. Because of our unique culture, we don’t have a problem with finding talent and our workforce. Our company culture is based on faith, family, and integrity of our employees working together and being part of something more than themselves. In return, the environment has everyone rowing in the same direction. We create a DMSI family atmosphere where everyone plays an equal part regardless of position in the overall success of the company. For instance, we let our employees bring their kids to work when daycare is not available. Most of all, Our DMSI CARES give-back program is the heart of the culture of our company. It is a program where part of our profit we give back to our employees through financing their education, giving them trips, cruises, and a quarterly bonus. In fact, this December 26th, 47 of our employees together with their families are going on a 5-day Caribbean cruise and this is fully paid for by the company.
The DMSI CARES program also does 4 missions each year to the Philippines where travel to remote villages to give medicine, school supplies, and food to students and families. We also sponsor college scholarships and medical surgery for the less fortunate.
What makes your company different than others in your market?
Our customer service and quality are exceptional. We compete against name-brand, large, billion-dollar corporations. To separate ourselves from the big box corporations, we are centric and focused on customer service. We treat our customers regardless of their size as they are the most important to us. We do this daily and consistently. We create relationships and our customers become our business partners. This is built from developing trust and standing behind the quality and integrity of our products.
Since starting or while growing your business, what is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?
Creating a name brand is the greatest challenge for us. Personally, faith in God and the support and love of my family have helped to overcome that. In business, we need to establish trust, quality, the best customer service, and a unique offering. Once that is established you can easily compete with the big corporations.
What goals do you have for your company? How do you hope to see it grow in the coming years?
In 2 to 5 years from now, I would like to triple the size of our company and expand our DMSI CARE program here and abroad. I would like to diversify our product offering to do our machining and molding in-house. Our edge is owning the CORE, so I would like to expand our manufacturing capability not only in fiber optic but to offer rack and stack solutions to our customers. My goal is to make us the one-stop shop for manufacturing for all fiber connectivity needs.
What has been your proudest moment as CEO?
My proudest moment has been establishing the employee infrastructure to meet the demands of our customers. We’ve created an environment where all employees feel they have a future and are rewarded fairly for their efforts. Secondly, DMSI’s success allowed me to start the DMSI CARES program which is good for my heart and soul and for all our employees.
What does it mean to you to be selected as a GrowFL FLCTW Honoree?
It means a lot to me because we have worked so hard to get where we are now and DMSI is really just beginning to get noticed. This honor will help us a great deal in our brand recognition, which is very important to the success of our business. Being recognized by one of the biggest organizations in Florida is surely going to get our name and story out there. The recognition will help to spread the word that there is this amazing company In Venice that doesn’t only create products but provides the solution.
Is there anyone special you’d like to thank?
God first. I am a woman of faith and without my faith, I wouldn’t be here today. Of course, my two beautiful kids and my husband Jeff D’Alonzo who is my number one fan and supporter. They say behind a man’s success is a woman, but it is the opposite for me. A lot of my success personally and professionally is due to my husband who believed in me, and didn’t count my shortcomings but only saw my potential. Then, my partner Brandon Woodward, who works so hard and puts his heart and mind into our vision and goal. Lastly, our DMSI family of employees. Their dedication, perseverance, and hard work are amazing. I am lucky to have not only to call them my employees but family and friends.
Faith and family are very important. Without it, it’s hard to stay grounded. Courage is not from the absence of fear. Strength is never from any absence of challenges. Strong people break but they don’t stay broken. They piece themselves together and they come back stronger. Strong people are not special they are relentless. Remember, legends are not made on the mountain top, legends are forged in the valley. And lastly, be a soul that refuses to break and give up.
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