The Dot Man

When people ask me what my husband does for a living, I usually pause before answering. Unlike many who can say, “He’s a dentist,” or “He’s an attorney,” I have to decide just how much information this person really cares to know. You see, Brent is, quite literally, The Dot Man. If I were to fully detail/describe/divulge what he actually “does” I would have to kill you! (Just kidding, he’s not really a secret operative for the CIA. . . that’s just a lame joke on my part. . . or maybe a secret wish that he really was the next Jack Bauer!) I typically end up saying something like “He developed and manufactures a security and theft deterrent product.” This satisfies most, and I’m sure they then think he works in some sort of industry similar to ADT or other home security company.

The simple fact is, Brent really does produce dots. . . microscopic dots the size of a pepper flake which contain a 15 digit number for identifying purposes. I won’t attempt to explain all the details, as that would end up being the longest blog post in history, but suffice it to say that it’s quite interesting and innovative. We started this company approximately 20 years ago, and although many changes have transpired, Brent is still around making it work.

As I mentioned in my introductory blog, Brent is SWAMPED right now. He is developing several new machines for their manufacturing facilities overseas. He has a trip to Australia soon (where corporate headquarters are) and this project is coming down to the wire. Last night for FHE, we turned our kitchen into a production facility. I just couldn’t resist taking a few pictures of the “mad scientist” at work. Our kids will tell you that this scenario is not unique. All of them have had the “opportunity” of working at a punch machine (the machine that produces the dots)—it is a great way to reinforce the importance of higher education—assembly line jobs are SOOOO not fun. Many times when deadlines were looming, or emergency orders came in at inconvenient times, we pitched in. We have stories of the early days when several punch machines were in our basement and garage. We even have memories of punching dots and packaging orders one Christmas Eve! That being said, I’m so grateful for a smart, talented, ambitious and hard-working husband who amazes me all the time. I just don’t get how he can take all those wires and stuff and make it all work somehow. He really is THE BEST DOT MAN in the whole wide world! (And I don’t think too many people can say that:)

P.S. Go to www.datadotdna.com if you want to find out a little more about his company, DataDot USA. I realize that much of this can still be vague by just reading this post.