TAKING AUTOMATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Utilizing our 25+ years of experience, DDS provides robust automation solutions for the discrete manufacturing industry. As a full-service design & build resource, we help resolve your manufacturing challenges by aligning the best fit solution that will improve your business and increase your competitiveness within the marketplace.
You can be confident that you are partnering with a company that focuses on building high quality systems without cutting corners. We have made our name by tackling the most difficult projects with a collaborative and team-oriented approach and we are positioned to handle projects of all sizes.
The DDS Difference
Flexibility to execute projects from prototyping to large-scale automation while maintaining a personal approach
We will never over commit and under deliver or submit a proposal we aren’t confident in supporting- we stand by our work
Full engineering department with a depth of experience in every industry and application
We develop long-term partnerships with our customers, integrating our transparent and collaborative culture into the way we work
Commitment to Collaboration
Meet Our Leaders
Brad Demarco
Founder & Board Advisor
Brad Demarco founded DDS in 1998 and ran the company for 20 years, employing his extensive engineering background and education. Currently, Brad is part-owner of the organization and sits on the Board of Directors, directly involved in high-level corporate strategy and growth. Brad’s career has been focused on manufacturing and engineering design, previously having the role of Mechanical Engineer and Branch Manager at Optimation Technology, Inc. He is presently the CEO of Automation Intellect, another startup that utilizes his years of experience designing, building, and implementing industrial automation and applies it to machine software.
Michael Caldwell
President & COO
Michael Caldwell is the President & COO of DDS. He comes to this organization with over 36 years of leadership experience and a background in operations across diverse industries. Previously, Michael held the position of VP of Operations at an automotive parts distributor as well as Global Director of Operations at a scientific products distributor where he streamlined multi-million dollar supply chains while integrating and launching many operations. Throughout Michael’s career he has leveraged his business development and leadership expertise to successfully position organizations for growth and motivate global teams to achieve higher levels of success. Michael has a BBA with an IS focus from Georgia State University. He was excited to come out of retirement to join DDS because he wanted to be part of such a dynamic and forward thinking company.
Adam Crandall
Chief Revenue Officer & VP of Sales
Adam Crandall is the CRO of DDS. He comes to this organization with over 3 years of automation experience and a lifelong passion for collaborative business development. His main responsibility is to oversee the sales, marketing, applications, and growth strategy of the organization. Adam also currently sits on multiple economic development boards, including the U.S. National District Export Council to increase awareness of the importance of exports to the US economy. Previously, Adam was the Director of Business Development at a systems integrator for two years. There, he led the organization to double digit revenue growth YOY and significantly increased top-line revenue.
Bill Griswold
Board Of Directors
Bill Griswold is a key member on the DDS Board of Directors. He comes to the organization with over 30 years of experience in strategic planning, business management, startups, acquisitions, P&L responsibility, and operations. Bill has held a variety of executive positions including President and CEO for various telecommunications groups; he is also currently the CEO of Vistage International where he focuses on leadership development training and business mentoring. Bill continues to serve as a corporate director for a number of publicly and privately held firms. He has held various board level leadership positions including Vice Chair, Audit Committee Chair, and Executive Compensation Committee Chair for a publicly traded financial institution with over $2.5 billion in assets. Mr. Griswold holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Todd Pickering
VP of Operations
Todd Pickering is the VP of Operations at DDS. During his 25-year business career he’s served in senior global management roles for a diverse group of industry-leading companies where he was responsible for tens of millions of dollars in global sales & millions in annual operating expenses. Along with his extensive business experience, Todd holds a BS in Engineering from Purdue University, a Master’s in Engineering from Notre Dame University, and an MBA from Michigan State University.
Where Culture Matters
From the beginning, we've wanted DDS to be different from other companies. Different in how we treat our clients, different in how we work with each other, and different in the results we achieve. These differences are best captured in the 25 fundamentals that are the foundation for our unique culture - The DDS Difference.
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Our History
DDS was founded by Brad and Stacey DeMarco in Fort Mill, SC, starting out as a small company developing a patented knitting machine for a California-based medical device manufacturer.
Brad acquires a partner and establishes a small machining shop.
DDS moves into a 12,000 sq. ft. building to have the machine shop and automation together in a single space. We grow the machining side of the business and start designing larger pieces of automation, beginning with a focus on vision systems.
Our automation group grows large enough to expand into a second 6,000 sq. ft. facility in Fort Mill.
We expand again to a 9,000 sq. ft. facility in Charlotte, NC. DDS receives the Inc. 5000 Award for the second year in a row as recognition for being one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S.
DDS sells the machining side of the business to focus on in-house automation design, continuing our fabrication capabilities by developing a vast network of machine shops.
As our automation group continues to expand we move to our current 20,000 sq. ft. facility in Charlotte, NC.
Continue focusing on building custom high-end automation and expanding our business within the Southeast. Officially registered as a WBE & WSOB business as Stacey DeMarco becomes majority owner.
Awards and Recognition
