From the Gut: Dirk De Vuyst, CEO

A lesson on Gut Molding.

One afternoon, while Dirk De Vuyst was in the sixth grade, he got sidetracked. Maybe it was a sunny day outside and he wanted to play. Maybe his parents needed some help with the household chores. Whatever it was, Dirk forgot to do his math homework that night. Most likely, he knew what to expect when he finally realized his neglect, and was overcome with anxiety.

When he arrived at school the next morning, he admitted to the teacher that he had forgotten his homework. She punished him harshly by making him write "I will never forget my math homework again" one-hundred times and giving him a demerit. But it didn't stop there. She forced Dirk to put on a donkey hat that read "I am an idiot" and still gave him a zero when he brought in the homework the next day.

Dirk and his wife, Rita, were born in the melting pot of Europe-Belgium-surrounded by Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, and countless cultures. The diversity of their cultural lives is remarkable, but not more so than their determination to succeed in a tough and complex business-cast polymer manufacturing. To learn more about their backgrounds and staying power, I visited them recently in Woodstock, Georgia, just thirty miles outside of Atlanta. As a newcomer to this field, and just two weeks into my position as assistant editor of Cast Polymer Connection, this was my first major assignment at ICPA and I was feeling a little "real world" deprived.

I was terrified.

As it turned out, I learned two important lessons that day in Woodstock. First, I'm not the only one adjusting and growing into new challenges, which is sometimes how it feels. Second, I finally understood what cast polymer was-that is, before my trip, my head was spinning with terms I thought I would never understand. And now, I finally know the purpose of gelcoat. I think.

In 1995, Dirk grew tired of working for a Belgian company that managed him from across the Atlantic Ocean. Perhaps this is what inspired and continues to drive his exceptional management and leadership skills as he and his wife embark on the challenges to come following their first decade operating International Marble Industries (IMI), a cast polymer manufacturing plant in a small industrial park in Woodstock. Within a few miles of the plant, speckled amid open fields, are just a few of the many new housing developments that IMI has serviced with tubs, showers and vanity tops.

Dirk is tall with a wave of gray hair and a sophisticated Dutch accent. Initially, he was intimidating. However, he proved this first impression ridiculous when he introduced me to cast polymer by handing me a giant dog dish.

"Do you have a dog?" he asked sincerely. "No," I said, wondering how I had misunderstood the industry so deeply. I thought these guys only made bathroom stuff?

I soon learned that the dog dishes were creative gifts for customers, and my understanding of the cast polymer industry was quickly revised as Dirk handed me a pair of goggles and led me onto the shop floor. The door seemed to open into another world. The quiet voices and ringing telephones disappeared as we stepped into the plant. Dirk fit much better in this space than in the office area where his hair tickled the ceiling. I am not sure if he saw my nose crinkle, but he anticipated my next question, and explained the smell of production that overtook the entire plant.

It was the first time things really clicked for me, and it was because Dirk took me through each step of the process until we were standing outside, looking at the rows of bathtubs and vanity tops awaiting delivery. It was silent outside, away from the static drone of noise within the plant that I couldn't quite pinpoint. Any plant I've ever seen is inexplicably loud, but this plant was different in other ways.

It waswide and open, unlike the boiler plant on Andrews Air Force Base, where my mother worked until I was ten, a place where we squeezed alongside stocky, greasy cylinders to get to the soda machine where my sisters and I could only choose one to share, and I always lost the vote to Dr. Pepper. It was a place and a field my mother insisted we never enter, and yet it seemed Rita, Dirk's wife, had entered and deemed it highly rewarding.

One of the first things Dirk did was proudly introduce me to Rita. She is much shorter than Dirk with blonde hair and sincere eyes. Somehow, she still manages to look pretty and feminine in a rugged manufacturing plant. Sophisticated, professional, and entirely approachable, I wonder if Rita ever forgot her math homework. Probably not. Although Dirk towers over her in height, it is easy to tell she is his equal in all aspects. She speaks six languages and has traveled the world as a public relations professional. Never one to back down from a challenge, she is ahead of Dirk by one language-Italian-because, as she says, she needed to be able to communicate in Italy for working purposes.

They both smiled brightly, donning their navy blue jackets with the white IMI emblem stitched neatly in the corner. "We're ready for you to take our pictures," said Dirk with his arm around Rita, gesturing towards their especially chosen jackets. In fact, Dirk gives out the same jackets to his employees to wear in the office.

Keeping the heat down is a good way to cut costs, Dirk told me later with a laugh. My nerves were quickly put at ease as they led me around, introducing their employees and business. Initially, I was afraid he would be gruff, or worse, think that I was a waste of his time. For all my ignorance in the business to start, I did know that ICPA members were very busy people. What did he care about me? Well, I was right about one thing. They are a busy couple, running the suburban- Atlanta factory for just over ten years now. But most importantly, they are a loving couple and parents to their son, Sebastian. They were by no means unfriendly; in fact they were gracious hosts, offering me a warm welcome and delicious lunch, not to mention a giant dog dish. One would imagine such successful businesspeople would only talk business. Instead, they happily told me about their family life, explained the molding process in words even I (a former English major) could understand, and detailed the history of their lives and business.

Dirk and Rita were just friends when they attended college together and separated in 1983 when Dirk moved to the United States, where for many years, he worked for Belgian companies in the home textiles and motor coach industry. However, in 1985, fate brought them together again when Rita organized the Most Outstanding Belgian Person in the World contest, for which Dirk was nominated. He didn't win the honor-"I wasn't that good," he remarked-but he did win over Rita. They were married in 1986, and as they say, (simultaneously and unrehearsed) "the rest is history." Dirk and his wife were born and raised in the Flemish part of Belgium with modest upbringing. Both are from small families, each with only one sibling. Dirk's father worked in the petrochemical industry all his life, basically making plastics.

Perhaps this was Dirk's first introduction to this kind of product development, as plastics also need a catalyst to reach a final form. In fact, as a child, polyester resins were often the cure to damaged toy sailboats. While this may sound like a typical childhood, their style of learning greatly differed from what they see in Sebastian's schooling. According to Dirk, "If you did not do your homework, there were no bonus points or extra credit questions to make up for the poor grade." While it was harsh at the time, he attributes much of his entrepreneurial spirit to his education.

He went on, "We were brought up in Catholic schools, and hard work was one of the things that they pound into you. But we enjoyed our upbringing; we really appreciated the Catholic and Jesuit schooling that we went through. It really put a print on us," said Dirk.

The cast polymer manufacturing industry was also something new to Dirk and Rita as it does not exist the same way in Belgium. "The product is too labor intensive to be manufactured in volume successfully in a country where labor costs are traditionally high. It is not necessarily the wage that you pay, but the social charges that come with paying a wage in a country like Belgium, and most of Europe, are very high."

Rita added, "The industry is totally different. I went to visit one a couple of years ago when I was back home. They don't do it in bulk as we do it here." In Belgium, production is highly customized, which few people can afford.

But that novelty didn't stop them from discovery in the states. In 1995, Dirk and Rita made a decision. Dirk left his job as CEO of a carpet and rug plant in Adairsville, Georgia, where he says he first picked up the desire to become a manufacturer. They were tired of the "remote control management style," as Dirk called it, that he worked under while representing the interests of Belgian business owners. Although the experience was valuable, they made an agreement: "We wanted to be in control of our own destiny, for better or for worse," said Dirk. To that end, the couple began their search and soon bought IMI. "Sometimes, you just have to follow your gut," is Dirk's explanation for this big step and his advice to newcomers in the business. Inevitably, this advice applies to life in general.

It seems Dirk is aware of this even as he speaks the words. Most likely, it was his gut he followed when he moved to the U.S., and when he left that secure job in Adairsville. Perhaps it was his gut he followed when he asked Rita to marry him. If this is the case, all have turned out very well for him, and I wonder, do all "guts" produce such positive results, or do they require nurturing and molding, trim and polish, similar to what happens on IMI's shop floor?

Regardless, Dirk insists it was his gut that told him to purchase IMI in 1995, even though he knew things were not perfect. On the bright side, there was potential on the customer list with national builders and homebuilders that he couldcount on for business even through a recession. However, there were some challenges when it came to customer contentment. It may be thanks to that zero on the math homework, but Dirk and Rita were up to the challenge.

"We saw and we felt some disorganization, something that we could contribute to and make better," said Dirk. "What this business lacks-and I think construction in general-is communication and open mindedness, and that's what we put forward," added Rita. "That was the number one goal when we started, and we kept it up and made it grow." Because many customers were unhappy with the previous owners, Dirk and Rita fought to keep business, promising that things would turn around. They delivered their promise in two months, and those builders have remained with IMI for ten years. In that time, the company has grown from 20 employees to 110.

"We stood behind every single thingthat we did, and even when we made a mistake, we corrected it," said Rita. While running a successful business may have been new to the both of them,the challenge of working in a male-dominated field was not unfamiliar to Rita. In her previous position as public relations manager for the American Soybean Association in Brussels, she was also faced with a nearly all-male industry. "Soybean farmers and most of the industries related to soybeans were run by men," said Rita. "So when we took over this business, dealing with men was not new to me and I thought I could make a difference with my PR background. I knew how to take care of my customers. I always wanted them to be sure that when they hung up the phone that I was taking care of them." That perseverance is evident in nearly everything Dirk and Rita do, and their drive for success does not stop with business.

It is clear that one thing will always be most important to these two entrepreneurs, for in the midst of building a business, they were also building a family, with their son, Sebastian. Now 14-years-old and 6'2 1/2", he is nearly Dirk's height. Much of their time as a family is spent at home just relaxing or "jamming out" together. Sebastian plays drums and piano, Rita is on violin, and Dirk can play keyboard and guitar. They have no family in the states, but travel to Belgium twice a year, and plan to allow for more time there.

"Over the last two years we have made a real effort at delegating more and putting a team in place, so that if we decide that we need to be in Belgium because our parents fall ill or something to that effect, then we can indeed do that without having to worry," said Dirk.

As they try to delegate, Dirk notes the difficulty in doing so. "We're still a family business, or a 2-person business, and it still takes time for us to let go of what we've been doing, and it takes time for them that may have been here for a while to really accept more responsibility and automatically do the right thing rather than come and ask us what the right thing is."

Maybe they find it difficult to let go because hard work is in their bones. In the beginning, it truly was a 2-person business as Dirk and Rita handled everything alone. There was a time when they did the measuring and the installations. Rita remembers delivering products and installing them after closing time.

Presently, however, their time is spent focusing on production and marketing, and most importantly, visiting customers. "In a business this size, you wouldn't do it any justice being out there and actually making the product or installing the product. You bring a lot more service to your customer by making sure it gets done properly," remarked Dirk.

And doing so does not allow for much free time. Dirk and Rita get home around six, but they are constantly connected. After their son goes to bed, they are able to put in a few more hours, completing the things that didn't get done that day as they were pulled left and right.

"To be successful you have to have your finger on the pulse, and we tend to be hands on, so that requires a lot of hours," Dirk said.

Rita also believes this requires a solid team of employees. "What we, and I guess everyone struggles with, is finding the right people, in every single aspect of the business. Be it in the plant, outside, in the office, you must surround yourself with the best people possible."

And they have done just that. Dirk insists that there is a team that supports them as owners, and there is a team below that, and so on. "The installers, plant people, the molders-they are all specialists in their field, and frankly, I dare say today, they know more about it than we do," he acknowledged.

But there are times these leaders need to dig back into the foggy memories of yore. In fact, a year ago they lost a key employee and had to jump "back in the trenches, pull the team together, and build the team again," recalled Dirk.

And a good manager does not just delegate, they lead, and that is exactly what both Dirk and Rita do. Of course they check in and ask questions, but they have faith in their team. As Dirk led me through the plant, he walked with authority, but also with respect for his employees. He checked on progress, but not without pride for what was happening on the shop floor.

As if this wasn't enough to keep them busy, Dirk and Rita began a new venture in 1999. As most cast polymer manufacturers know, it is difficult to do business with both builders and homeowners, as homeowners require much more individualized attention than the builders with consistent orders and workflow. It took some time for them to realize that, as Dirk says, they could not be all things to all people. They tried more than once to service homeowners with IMI, but quickly realized it hurt business on one end or the other. Dirk and Rita's solution: create a new company. Atlanta Re-Bath focuses on selling and installing remodeling products for the bathroom to the consumer.

"If you stick to your guns and do what you promise, then you'll gain a lot of respect," Dirk explained. "And if you falter, they'll quickly forget how good you were for all those years."

In short, Re-Bath allays fears of letting down either customer. In order to stick to their focus, which is to give excellent service, short lead times, and to deal with the people who give them business, even in bad times, the second business was necessary. "To me, that is the biggest lesson in ten years; it's the constant thread that over those ten years we need to keep following. And you'll see us deviate and come back to it," said Dirk.

But for now it looks like the couple hasfound a way to cater to both homebuilder and homeowner. Atlanta Re-Bath has teamed up with Home Depot this year, and the business has really seen a boost.

Re-Bath offers four services-valve change, tub over tub, shower over shower, wall system over existing tile walls, and a simple shower door-and offers a completely remodeled bathroom in one day. While things are going very well in both the business and personal lives of the De Vuyst's, Dirk admits he would like to see some changes, but he has little control over those things. "Raw materials are what they are, there is a growing environmental concern, so we need to be well aware of that and we are working hard to be ahead of the game and stay an environmentally responsible company, which we are. But every year there is a new twist on how to do that best."

But are these problems enough to force them into retirement? "We're in it for the long haul. We have no intention of going away from our focus," said Dirk. "Cultured marble is really our focus because it has been our business that we have built up. With the type of customers that we have it's really personalized. Wemeet one on one, install the products, do it right, and that by itself is a challenge big enough to keep us busy for quite a while." While these challenges can seem daunting, Rita looks at it another way. "It's stepby-step, you just grow, and you have to.

It's afterwards that it feels and looks scary, I think-that we have done all of this, and now we're here. What is the next step?" I'm just shooting for a basic understanding of tri-hydrates, and molding my gut.

And them? Well, they're shooting for twenty-five years free of donkey hats. CPC Monica Cardenas is the Assistant Editor of Cast Polymer Connection. She can be reached at 703.525.0320 or mcardenas@icpa-hq.org.