For Molded Dimensions Group, 2023 was a year of big changes and exciting developments. Learn what lies ahead in the coming year for the company through this recent conversation with Brian Spinkman, CEO of Molded Dimensions Group.
What accomplishments in 2023 stand out the most to you?
In 2023, we completed three major accomplishments:
- We moved the company from 25-year-old Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to a new, modern system.
- We rebranded the company and consolidated three separate entities into one brand, with the same collateral and collaboration environment (such as email, Teams, etc.).
- We moved those same three entities to one Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software system, Salesforce, which gives us better insight into leveraging our cross-selling capabilities.
These achievements were a lot to tackle in one year! But the fact that we got them done says a lot about the people here at Molded Dimensions Group and their passion for what we do.
2023 seems like it could be labeled as the “Year of Investment.” What excites you about 2024 since Molded Dimensions Group now has so much in place?
The investments we made in 2023 were all completed with the long-term goal of better serving our customer base. Now in 2024, we are even more well-equipped to make it stress-free to do business with us—to “make the difficult part easy.” For instance, we can leverage our investments to gain better insight into how we are performing as a group, from a sales and operational perspective.
When combining three companies into one, there may be a tendency to want to hang on to the past. However, our team has embraced the changes, which results in being able to bring together personnel from many divisions to present a best-case scenario to our customers.
With all companies now under one brand name, how has that changed your approach to the marketplace as the premier provider of custom rubber, urethane, and plastic parts?
The greatest aspect of being under one brand is that we can revisit our large pool of existing customers and begin new conversations. We have seen tremendously positive feedback from customers who loved working with us for parts in one material and can now come to us for parts in multiple materials.
What are your goals for Molded Dimensions Group in 2024?
As mentioned above, in 2024, we are looking to leverage the work we did in 2023. We feel well-positioned in the markets we serve and expect to see growth.
Capitalizing on the resources we have, we will focus both internally and externally on providing best-of-breed solutions to our customers, through improved efficiencies and customer service. No matter what division our customers encounter, we want the experience to align with our mission and values.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the industry in 2024?
I think the biggest challenge facing the industry this year is how to best manage an unsure economy. We are, what feels to be, out of the post-pandemic craze, but it is an election year, and I get the sense that nobody is completely sure what 2024 will bring. My thought is that the year will be fairly flat—and thus why it is so important to best utilize the relationships we have with our current customer base.
Although things do seem to be settling down, the industry is still facing supply chain problems—currently stemming from attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea. Molded Dimensions Group is not immune to such disruptions, but because we formalized our supply chain management a couple of years ago, we can expertly handle issues with as minimal impact as possible on our customers. In this way, our global manufacturing capabilities set us apart from other domestic manufacturers in the industry.
Any personal New Year’s resolutions?
Like many of us, I hope to get a bit more fit: eat less and move around more, as they say!
