Member Spotlight: Dematic

The Plano Chamber membership team presents, our monthly Member Spotlight. Each month, we will be highlighting different Plano Chamber of Commerce members to continue connecting our members with each other and the Plano community at large.

The Plano Chamber would like to welcome and spotlight, Dematic. Heather Wagemann, our Membership Engagement Manager, asked VP, Portfolio Project Management, Americas , Dan Gullette, a few questions about Dematic, their membership, and role in the community.

1. What would you like readers to know about Dematic and what you specialize in?

Throughout history, one of society’s great challenges has been moving goods efficiently from those who make them to those who need them. For more than two centuries, Dematic has taken on this challenge as an innovator in material handling and warehouse automation technologies. From food and medicine to clothing and other essentials for living, our purpose has always been to ensure the efficient flow of commerce.

Today, Dematic is transforming global supply chains to embrace trends in digitalization and e-commerce. We design, build, and support intelligent, automated solutions for various vertical markets — general merchandise, grocery, food and beverage, apparel, healthcare and many more. With engineering centers, manufacturing facilities, and service centers located in more than 35 countries, the Dematic global network of over 11,000 employees has helped achieve nearly 8,000 worldwide customer installations for many of the world’s leading brands.

As a global company, we acknowledge and embrace diverse ideas and perspectives. We are always thinking about what is next and how we can deliver a better product to our customers and a better environment for our employees.

By engaging with customers, suppliers, team members, and other stakeholders, we contribute to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for a peaceful and prosperous planet. We envision a responsible and sustainable future of commerce, one where vital resources flow smoothly from makers to consumers — from where they are abundant to where they are most needed.

2. Why did you choose to join the Plano Chamber of Commerce?

Dematic has been in the state of Texas for more than 20 years and in March of this year, we invested $2.5 million to relocate the company’s former Lewisville office to Plano. While the office will mostly be home to engineers as part of Dematic’s Global Project Engineering team, we want to be where many of our current and future customer headquarters are, and with the growth of supply chain and logistics in Dallas/Fort Worth area, Plano was a perfect choice.

As with each of our Dematic offices, we know how important it is to be active members of the business community, and the people at the Plano Chamber have been incredible partners with us as we write this new chapter. When we first met with the Chamber’s leaders, we were impressed by the level of dedication and support they provide to member organizations. It was clear they were excited to support our growth and offer guidance and benefits as a result of our partnership. Since joining, we’ve already seen a positive impact as a Top Investor, including in professional development, DE&I programming and networking activities.

This December, we are excited to share Dematic’s 200-year story during the Exchange program which will be hosted at our brand-new office in Plano. I hope many of you will join us and meet the team!

3. Tell us about your involvement in the community.

Alongside our involvement with the Plano Chamber of Commerce, Dematic strives to have an active presence in the community. At Dematic, we believe each employee should feel valued for their unique backgrounds and talents and be encouraged to better themselves, their company, and their communities.

Our goal is to collaborate with the communities in which we live and work through volunteerism and relationships. All US employees are encouraged to engage with local nonprofits using 8 hours of paid volunteer time off. Our Plano team has participated in campaigns with the Plano library, Operation Kindness, Toys for Tots, and more.

To expand volunteer opportunities to employees, the Dematic Community Outreach Program

Additionally, at Dematic, we offer multiple Employee Resource Groups (ERG):

• Dematic Women’s Network (DWN)
• Black Organizational Leadership Development (BOLD)
• Professional Responsibility and Inclusion for Sexual Minorities (PRISM)
• Support Excellence for Reservist and Veteran Employees (SERVE)

We encourage all employees to take active roles in these groups, which provide leadership and networking opportunities throughout Dematic. As the executive sponsor for SERVE, I am deeply invested in these groups and the opportunities they provide employees. As the newest ERG at Dematic, we are continuing to find new ways to engage employees and provide a safe space for them to share their experiences and gain support. As part of this effort, we recently held a mental health panel in which the leaders of the four ERGs shared ways in which they deal with their everyday stresses in the workplace and manage their mental health.

4. What is your favorite part of your current work environment? 

Dematic is a company that continues to push limits through innovation and creative problem-solving, allowing us to power the future of commerce for customers worldwide. Working in various industries, Dematic helps customers solve their business challenges, finding better and more efficient ways of working. It is due to this vast customer base that working for Dematic provides immense opportunities for career development and fulfillment.

Having been with Dematic for more than 20 years in a variety of roles, including leadership positions in Project Management as VP, China Operations, and Engineering, I appreciate the abundance of opportunity there is at Dematic. Throughout my career, I have created the path I wanted to pursue and continue to advocate for other employees to do the same. In such a dynamic industry and company, you are never tackling the same challenge twice, which is a unique feature of our environment and one that I have truly benefited from.

In addition to being a global company with vast opportunities, it is exciting to be the driving force behind the world’s leading brands. There is gratification in the work we do at Dematic, knowing it makes an impact worldwide.