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Denny Vander Molen: Damage prevention champion

“Safety is a developed culture. It is the redirecting of the habits of the people around you, whether it is our employees or our customers,” said Denny Vander Molen, President of Vermeer MidSouth, Inc. “It’s really about looking out for one another. It is about leading by example in the workplace.”
To those who know Denny, it’s never surprising to hear him talk about safety and the responsibility to lead by example. It has become a large part of his personality. Almost two years ago, Denny was approached to support the concept of a new Mississippi 811 magazine to be mailed to all users and members of Mississippi 811. That statewide mailing included his existing and potential customers.
Like most interesting people, Denny has an interesting story. Raised on a farm in Iowa, he grew up with an appreciation of hard work and taking care of business. He elected not to go to college and began looking for a job after high school. Instead he found a career. Denny began his career with Vermeer in his home state in 1973.
Denny, never one to miss a chance to learn something new, worked his way through Vermeer’s organization through construction, service, engineering, and finally moved over to sales. In 1981, he became a territorial Sales Manager and moved to Columbus, Ohio.
In 1987, he moved south to Mississippi and Vermeer MidSouth, Inc. was created. Vermeer MidSouth serves Mississippi, North Louisiana, Arkansas, and West Tennessee with seven locations scattered across his territory. The organization has grown to more than 65 employees.
“I am grateful for the success we’ve enjoyed in Mississippi. Obviously, we can’t take our business for granted. And especially with the current economy, we have even a greater responsibility to invest in the continued safety and welfare of our customers,” Denny stated. “Really, it’s about being a good steward. We have the opportunity to help people become successful. After all, we are here to serve one another. Good stewards understand the value of making a contribution to their own business, as well as to the industry.”
Sam Johnson, Executive Director of Mississippi 811, said, “Vermeer MidSouth’s support of the magazine has been vital in helping keep the ‘dig safely’ message in front of all the excavators across the state.” Sam went on to say, “The entire state benefits from the commitment Denny and his team made to be part of our team.”
Denny stated, “One of the things that drive us is our product. We believe that Vermeer builds some of the safest equipment on the job today. We want you to work hard and go home safe. Then we want to see you back again tomorrow. When we sell a piece of equipment, we send a Products Specialist to show you how it works. But we also are committed to show you how to take care of your machine. We’ll talk to you about planning your work and part of that plan certainly includes calling 811 before you dig and digging safely because there is so much at stake.”
Vermeer MidSouth’s commitment to the safety of the excavators in Mississippi led them to join with Mississippi 811 in support of this unique damage prevention effort. The magazine is mailed to more than 15,000 users and members of the one-call system on a quarterly basis. The mailing includes all excavators who have called Mississippi 811 during the past 12 months, utility members, every mayor, and county supervisor across the state.
The next time you see one of the members of the Vermeer MidSouth team, tell them thanks for helping keep Mississippi a safer place to live and work.