Do you want the DIRTT on DIRTT?

Mogens Smed is a colourful Calgary entrepreneur made his mark manufacturing high-end office furniture and interiors, before selling out to U.S. giant Haworth Inc. in 2000. Now, he's back with a three-year-old private company, DIRTT Environmental Solutions, which uses advanced software to design, build and organize modular "green" interiors for North American companies. 

DIRTT is an acronym for "doing it right this time?" Did you do it wrong before?

Mogens Smed: Some chaos, a little bit of anarchy, no meetings - The Globe and Mail: "Mogens Smed: 

Some interesting tidbits from this Article

Lots of things were wrong. This is my third business career. My first company went bankrupt in 1982. Now I'm 61, and I've got three left in me. I've already got the name registered for my next one. 

It's called DIPTT, which means "doing it perfect this time," because we haven't done it all right this time either.

We are a manufacturing company in the most inappropriate city in the entire world, Calgary. But there is a genuine need and movement for sustainable products. We didn't get these many millions in sales because we got all misty-eyed about hugging a tree. We did it because we responded to the business issues and the design issues.

So there is a future in manufacturing in Canada?   There absolutely is - if you are using technology as a platform, and if you are not making widgets. 

What have you learned about managing?  If a client wants to get a hold of me, they call me directly. They don't have to go through a big bureaucracy. Nobody has an office in this company, including me. 

And there are no MBAs and lawyers in this company. It's on purpose. Read this book, A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink.'via Blog this'

We're not allowed to have meetings here at DIRTT.

How long will you keep going as an entrepreneur? I'll be going out feet first like some of these other guys. 

You're projecting $100-million in sales this year. Will this be a billion-dollar company?  More than a billion. No question.

Murray Guy aka @Lean_tobe_Green

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