My name is Vijay Palanisamy and I currently work as Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at Dynapac. When Asphalt Contractor first reached out to me about this feature, I was not fully sure what I was going to say or write about. However, I tried to share my journey, how I got in to this industry and how amazingly it has grown me into the person I am today.
The team I am proud of leading currently has two distinct focus areas but, overall, they both have the same goal of elevating our brand and product presence in North America. One team focuses on defining and executing current and future roadmaps for our product marketing strategy and the other team focuses on defining and executing our brand marketing strategy, which goes hand-in-hand in our daily lives.
My Background
I was born and brought up in India which I proudly describe, nowadays, as my second home. After completing my diploma and undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering, I joined the workforce in 2004 as trainee engineer working at an automobile company that manufactured mopeds. Even while I was studying, I had an unique opportunity to work in the manufacturing industry in order to gain practical knowledge of how things are made from raw material. From castings all the way down to completed machines. This was the base for my manufacturing, machinery carrier.
After successfully competing in my 1st year as trainee engineer, I had an opportunity to be part of their engineering services division to work closely in designing mining machine sub systems for a well-known manufacturer. A company I worked with closely as my client at that time bought Dynapac, and I had an amazing opportunity to relocate and work for Dynapac in United States in 2008. This is when I first moved to United States, 15 years ago to work for Dynapac, and, since then, I've worked in various positions.
I started as an engineer and lead project manager then moved on to product management roles within paving and compaction business areas. The product management and marketing role brought me out of the shadows and into the real world of how contractors use their machines. The same machines that we designed. This gave me whole new perspective on what exactly customers are looking for from the products and services they buy. This helped me tremendously, as well as our team, to set the trajectory on continuous improvement for future products and solutions.
Working for Dynapac naturally draws lot of connection towards the road building industry. During these 15 amazing years I have been fortunate to live in Texas, Colorado, and, currently, in North Carolina along with my wife and two kids. My role allows me to travel extensively across North America and other international destinations, which brings lot of cultural diversity and experiences.
My perspective on road building industry in North America
The road building Industry in North America, which I am honored to be part of, is a segment that I truly cherish and want to contribute to every day. I, personally, take pride in the knowledge that the products I work on build roads that make life better for millions of people in their everyday lives. Everyone, not only people within our organization, but our partners, customers, media, and trade organizations are closely connected in working towards the betterment of the industry, which I have not seen elsewhere. At the end of the day, we are one big family.
The voice of this collective industry is strong, not only within itself, but, also, in promoting itself to the outside. This drives greater attention from the government bodies that define policies focused on practicality and the future of asphalt. That can mean more funding for better roads, workforce development, or implementing technologies that will improve quality and safety for the people who build the roads or the citizens who drive on them. This industry absolutely amazes me on how we can all partner and contribute together to its betterment.
Another ingredient that makes our industry unique and successful is the diverse background people come from. Whether a manufacturer, dealer, or contractor, we get to interact and work with people moving in from all over the world. You get to know their stories while working alongside to improve lives for millions of people, which, in my perspective, gives an immense job satisfaction.
My passion and what are we set to achieve
My goals and passion change as I continue to evolve and grow. From my work perspective, ten years ago, it was about identifying what exactly North American contractors wanted from a product perspective, and help them to get best out of it. Five years ago, it was about making sure we have the right products to fit our marketing and channel growth strategy for North America. Currently, it’s about serving the industry and working with the amazing people in it, in order to take Dynapac products and brand to the next level in the journey.
Personally, like every other parent, I would like to see my young kids grow up and be successful in whatever field they choose to get into. The asphalt and road building industry have provided me a great opportunity for that to become reality.
