ABOUT DICA
Building a Better Outrigger Pad
In 1988, Dick and Carolyn Koberg founded DICA using the first two letters from each of their names. In its early years, the company represented several manufacturing companies and supplied fiberglass utility bodies, aerial buckets, small excavating equipment and electrical inverters to gas, electric and telecom utilities.
During this time, Dick began pursuing the answer to a question that had been posed to him by one of his first customers when working for a fiberglass body manufacturer:
“Can you build me a better outrigger pad?”
At that time, there was a growing understanding that additional support under equipment was needed and that outrigger pads should be the foundation of outrigger-enabled equipment to improve safety and equipment stability. At the time, outrigger pads were largely made of plywood, scrap lumber or re-purposed cable reel ends. While these early solutions were on the right path, they splintered, rotted, were heavy to move around, needed more engineering expertise, were not ergonomically friendly and had a limited lifespan. In other words, there was a need for a better mousetrap.
To answer this question, Dick became focused on developing an engineered outrigger pad that addressed the issues. Early design experiments began with fiberglass-encased plywood, then urethane-encased plywood. Ultimately Dick was introduced to the engineered thermoplastics DICA uses today. The company delivered its first of these outrigger pads in 1988 and has continued to lead the way in outrigger pad product innovation since.
Today, DICA products are used on all seven continents in over 50 countries. The product lines have evolved into Outrigger and Crane Pads, Cribbing and blocking, Ground Protection and Site Access Mats, Magnetic Sling Protectors, and a host of accessory items. With more than 50 standard outrigger and crane pad models in our line, we can fit equipment with lifting capacities of up to 500 tons or more anywhere in the world.
Dick passed away in 2023 after a challenging battle with the effects of Parkinson’s. Thankfully, the family business grew to include Dick and Carolyn’s three sons, Kris Kevin and Kerry, and daughter-in-law Kelly Koberg (Kerry’s wife). Kerry and his wife Kelly joined the company in 2004. Kevin joined DICA in 2009, and Kris joined the company in 2010 and was named CEO in early 2014. Together, along with our leadership team and board of directors, we are carrying the torch Dick lit for all of us in 1988.
Our Difference
Our team is passionate about continuing Dicks legacy. Dick was an exceptional salesperson whose customers became lifelong friends. Customers from 30 years ago still stop by our booth at various trade shows just to say hi. Even though Dick is no longer with us, his core values still govern DICA and how we operate. Dick’s customer-first, win-win-win problem-solving approach is one of our core values, along with his passionate commitment to hard work, doing the right thing when no one is looking and excellence. As Dick would say, if it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing right.
We hope you experience and feel our heritage when engaging with our team on the phone, via email, at a trade show or conference, or just out and about. Whether you’re a long-time customer or meeting us for the first time, we look forward to helping make your setup safe.
EOS:
At DICA, we have adopted the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) as the core of our internal operations. In addition to our people, we believe the EOS approach and toolset are part of our recipe that supports our desire to support our employees, drive innovation, and fuel ongoing growth. Being entrepreneurial, nimble, and customer-focused are critical to ongoing success.
DICA’s Core Values:
- DICA Proud – We care deeply, are committed to excellence, and proudly wear our colors.
- Win-Win-Win – We are active problem solvers and are focused on winning for our customers, our company and each other.
- Accountable – We are accountable to each other and work hard for the greater good of DICA.
DICA’s Three Unique’s:
- Engineering Expertise that maximizes performance and solves unique problems.
- Unique Products designed and manufactured to enable safe and stable working conditions.
- DICA Family Values that keep us focused on building lasting win-win relationships.
