David Dmytryka
About this Executive:
Name:
David Dmytryka
Company:
Dmytryka Jacobs Engineering
Interview Topics:
Instruments, Controls and Electronics
Region:
Region 2 - Northwest Ohio
David Dmytryka is the co-founder and president of Dmytryka Jacobs Engineers, Inc. (DJE) in Toledo, Ohio. DJE designs, develops and implements engineering instrumentation and control systems for both municipal and industrial clients. Over its 15-year history, DJE has developed into a leader in controls engineering specializing in water, waste systems and storm water facilities management.
The company is a consulting firm licensed to provide engineering services in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. DJE has offices in Toledo and Westlake, Ohio. To expand its capacity, DJE recently combined two Toledo offices into one location. The company’s new facility is located in the Advanced Technology Park, adjacent to The University of Toledo Health Science Campus.
As president of DJE, David’s responsibilities range from corporate management to project management. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the engineering field. Prior to co-founding DJE, David worked at Jones & Henry Engineers in Toledo, Ohio as the director of instrumentation. Here, he was responsible for the conceptual development, design and implementation of supervisory control and data acquisition systems for water and wastewater plants and associated remote facilities. David is a registered professional engineer in six states. He holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Civil Engineering from The University of Toledo.
David is the past president and current treasurer of the Engineering Affiliate of the University of Toledo Alumni Association. He is also a member of the American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Additionally, David sits on the board of the Toledo Area Small Business Association and the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce.
David has been married to his wife, Elaine, for nearly 30 years. He has two adult children, Kevin and Leslie.
Recently, David spoke with me about DJE and how it has used Ohio Third Frontier funding to provide engineering students with real-world work experience.
Q. What has DJE been able to accomplish with funding from the Ohio Third Frontier?
A. With the funding provided to us by the Ohio Third Frontier, we have been able to provide engineering students with valuable internship opportunities. The Ohio Third Frontier Internship Program (3FIP), which reimburses DJE up to $3,000 of the salary paid to the interns, enables us to hire students so that they, in turn, can apply classroom learnings to the real world. Working with our team on real, meaningful projects helps the interns understand the critical role of engineering within larger municipal and industrial projects. DJE’s internships are a tremendous learning experience for young engineers.
Q. What employment opportunities will be created in the state as a result of your company receiving funding from the Ohio Third Frontier?
A. To date, we have hired seven students as interns with Ohio Third Frontier funding, and kept six of them on as degreed engineers after graduation. The lone exception decided to switch from engineering to business while still in school. With our practice of keeping these students on staff as young engineers, the 3FIP has helped increase the number of job opportunities available to engineers who are just starting their careers. So, not only have the funds been used to increase the number of real-world internship experiences available to young engineers, but they have also helped engineers land jobs after graduation. Our plan is essentially to grow from within, so when we hire interns and train them, we are able to have a full-time position available for them when they graduate.
Q. What partnerships have you created with Ohio academic institutions that have served your business well?
A. Without the University of Toledo, we wouldn’t be where we are today. During the early part of the decade, we developed an informal relationship with The University’s College of Engineering. This partnership was facilitated by a relationship that I had established early on in my career. I went to high school, college and did graduate work with one of the Engineering Technology Department’s professors. Now, through my network of colleagues, the university works hard for us to identify top engineering talent for our internship program. As of right now, we are 18 full-time employees strong, 13 of them degreed engineers (all from the University of Toledo).
Q. What projects has DJE recently completed?
A. While a majority of our work involves providing automation systems for municipal water and wastewater facilities, we also serve clients in other sectors. Recently, our team has successfully finished providing controls engineering and integration services for the Martin Luther King (MLK) Bridge Project in downtown Toledo, Ohio. We have completed a number of other interesting projects, too. You can learn about them on our company Web site.
Q. Overall, what does the Ohio Third Frontier mean to DJE?
A. Essentially, the Ohio Third Frontier means that DJE can provide learning opportunities to young engineers. We enjoy being able to teach the interns what we have learned during our professional career. We take great pride in nurturing these future leaders in engineering, and without the Ohio Third Frontier funds it would be a lot more difficult to establish a meaningful internship program.
Q. What are the top three things that Ohio uniquely offers that you feel have helped make your business successful?
A. One of the most valuable offerings that Ohio has provided us is its proximity to the nation’s top engineering talent. Without this pool of skilled engineers, our recruitment efforts would be much more difficult. Another positive thing about starting a business in Ohio is the relatively low cost of operating a business here. We have been able to move to a larger facility to hold our employees as a result of the low cost of real estate here. Compared with larger cities, we have much lower operating costs, which helps our bottom line and therefore enables us to expand the business without incurring unmanageable costs. Finally, I really enjoy that I can balance managing a business with being actively involved in the community and being a father and husband. I don’t think I could have done this anywhere else!