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The Demitrius Comino Legacy
Demitrius Comino was an Australian who had lived in England since the early 1920's. As a young man building a new printing business he gave thought to the problem of how to best use the space available in his business in the most efficient way. He needed a storage unit which could be erected and, if necessary, dismantled and re-used in an infinite number of ways, easily and without waste. His answer was a strip of metal bent at right angles longitudinally and perforated with specially shaped and positioned slots in both flanges - Dexion Slotted Angle.
Interest in the new idea was immediate, and in May 1947 Mr. Comino founded Dexion Ltd. From a tiny factory at Chingford in Essex staffed by nine factory workers and one sales person Dexion grew rapidly. By the late 1960's Dexion products were being made or sold in over 100 countries, including Australia.
Demitrius Comino passed away in 1988. He was a truly remarkable man; his thinking was well ahead of his time. We at Dexion salute him because his philosophy on business and life guide us today.
A Job At Dexion Is Worth More Than A Living
Comino believed that each individual should have a worthwhile and satisfying part to play in the business. He believed that a job should be more than a living and go beyond routine.
He is quoted as saying "believe that you can be an innovator and be prepared to fail so long as you are delivering change. Remember to think beyond immediate problems and be aware of what the rest of the company is doing, of how your job fits in, so that you can maximise your value to the company. This basic philosophy of looking for ways to contribute to the rest of the company, and the ways other people can contribute to your job doesn't necessarily make life easy. But it sure does make life interesting and work stimulating."
The Founders Beliefs Still Guide Dexion Today
The Dexion way of doing business was borne out of necessity, created by Demitrius Comino to solve a storage problem in his printing business. It all began with a need, a problem worth solving. Comino's beliefs became the glue that held the company together as it grew. These beliefs, or values, are:
- A belief in excellence in performance. He was his own severest critic; nothing satisfied him as he constantly tried to eliminate what he called 'the not-so-good. He used to say that no matter what results we get, no matter how good they appear to be, they should be critically examined for possible further improvements. We should always seek feedback and look for scope for further improvement. We should never be entirely satisfied.
- A belief in integrity in relationships. This meant doing what we say we will do. Our greatest asset to be recognised was customer loyalty and to achieve that there had to be a strong personal commitment throughout the company.
- A belief in innovation in application. The aim was to stay ahead of what the customers expected, to be pro-active, change-oriented and to be proud of our knowledge of the application of our products. He wanted us to talk with our customers to gain insights into changing preferences and trends within their industries.
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