DICE adding staff in anticipation of client needs

BAY CITY, Mich.—DICE Corp.—which has been moving away from branding itself strictly as a central station automation platform provider and more as a technology-infrastructure back-up provider—has been busy with more than a dozen new hires recently. And company president and CEO Cliff Dice says there are no plans to stop there.

"Since I've been back from retirement in the last two years, we've doubled the size of DICE as far as people, and I had told the state of Michigan last year when we were chosen as one of the top 50 fastest growing companies in the state that over a five-year timeframe I would add about 50 engineers and we're on pace for that," Dice told Security Systems News. "Where that comes from is that we're not just a software provider, we're a services provider. Our customers depend on us to build out their infrastructure and help them manage. With everything going to IP, it requires a lot more people for us to help our clients grow."

According to its website, The Michigan 50 Companies to Watch Award Program is conducted by the Edward Lowe Foundation with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Small Business Association of Michigan and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Dice said his company's trend of building, expanding and hiring even in a down economy is about staying ahead of a changing industry.

"Another thing that's interesting and I see happening in the industry as a whole is that a lot of smaller companies are being bought. The number of customers may be decreasing, but the services are increasing … the customers we have are expanding and growing into this IP sector and I see that as a continuing trend for the alarm industry," Dice said. "You're going to see a lot less alarm companies and what will be left are companies that are doing a lot more than just alarms."

To be eligible, companies must meet certain criteria, including: a candidate must be facing issues of growth, not survival; a candidate must employ six to 99 full-time equivalent W-2 employees, including the owner; a candidate must have between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue or working capital in place from investors or grants, a candidate must be headquartered in Michigan; and a candidate demonstrate the intent and capacity to grow.