Dexter Larimore, Vice President
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
You may recognize Dexter’s name if you are a Buckeye or football fan, as Dexter was a defensive lineman during his college years, earning the title as a 4 year Academic All-Big Ten honors and 5 years Scholar-Athlete at The Ohio State University. He received his Bachelor’s in Finance and Operations Management from the Fisher College of Business during that time, later furthering his education with a Master of Business Operational Excellence also from Ohio State. As the Vice President of Operations at Advance, his experience on and off the field as well as his knowledge from his education and personal life has well prepared him for his role.
Throughout high school, his physical talents shone prominently as he received many athletic awards in wrestling, football, and track. While the list for his awards and titles are daunting, he learned early on that with hard work, discipline, and an open mind he can achieve greater things. He enjoyed all the sports he was involved in, but especially valued the different experiences and approaches each sport offered. Where wrestling provided an individualized, mano a mano setting for the battle of the greatest, playing on a football team as one out of 11 cultivated the importance of camaraderie and teamwork. This foundation gave him a well-rounded perspective and approach towards people and business.
Starting as a Project Manager nearly a decade ago, Dexter’s curious nature, eagerness to understand people and how things worked has guided him throughout the years. Always yearning for more knowledge, Dexter reads books on leadership and business optimization when (and if) he’s not physically in the environment observing for more insight. He finds value and pleasure in the process of research, and while he continues to add to his repertoire of tools for operation efficiencies, he recognizes that knowledge and tools are only effective when applied in the right setting with the right resources and people; more importantly, the tool or process must be sustainable.
“You have to have the right people in the right places with the right attitudes for a successful team to push forward towards a goal.”
Dexter enjoys overcoming the daily challenges as the VP of Operations at Advance with spectrum-based thinking. As the manufacturing/steel fabrication business is constantly evolving, with raw material pricing fluctuating drastically, skilled quality laborers in the talent pool diminishing, and technology constantly advancing; there are many moving parts that need to align and integrate within the production plan. Of the many operational improvements he’s implemented at Advance, a notable one is improving the production cycle by adding the production control process. This provides the ability to visualize at any moment how far and where each project is in its process, hence allows multiple projects management and prioritization for different packages. They have also streamlined team members’ functions to create expertise in individual machinery, rather than learning every function for all equipment; all which have been game changers for the productivity of team.
Originally from Merrillville, IN, Dexter enjoys creating and improving things for his friends or family to enjoy. May it be grilling out during a family barbeque, sewing to repair clothing, or making sure his daughter Bella is brought up in a strong environment; Dexter’s intentions ultimately is love and elevating those around him. Outside the office and off the shop floor, you may also find him on one of Columbus’ many cycling trails, as he enjoys adventuring the city through a different perspective.