DENSO International America
DENSO's regional headquarters and parent company for its North American operations, including design and production engineering, technical support, sales and finance
- Southfield, Michigan
- Belleville, Michigan
- Dublin, Ohio
- Waterloo, Iowa
- San Jose, California
- Vista, California
- Holland, Michigan
Leadership Perspectives: Quality Mindset 
DENSO Places 2nd in Southfield Corporate Community Cup
After five weeks of fun-filled community events, team DENSO took 2nd place in the Southfield Corporate Community Cup competition! Veoneer took 1st place with 20 final points, while DENSO came in close with 16 points! We would like to give a HUGE thank you to all associates for their support, and especially recognize the associates listed below that participated in the Community Cup events.
Click here to view photos taken throughout the competition.
About the Corporate Community Cup
Some of the biggest names in the Southfield business community, including DIAM, are squared off to show who has the most community spirit! The Southfield Corporate Community Cup Challenge was a series of fun events promoting team-building, fitness, friendly competition, and raising donations for a good cause. The more events DIAM wins, the more points we’ll earn in an attempt to win the Community Cup!
Teams of DIAM associates volunteered to compete against other companies in a series of events. Check out our associate teams below, plus final event and the closing ceremony details:
DIAM Kickball Team
Matt Buchanan, Jamie Steinburger, Roger Malcom, Rachel Cho, Jonathan Zook, Andrew Deacon, Joseph Roden, Greg Randisi, Thomas Kolpasky, Jeffrey Grignon, Tomi Saveski
Trivia Quiz Bowl Team
Cynthia Marchetti, Sharon McKenzie, Nick Wilson, Keara Donohue, Jessica Lanasky
Sand Volley Ball Team
Zach Rogers, Amber Schultz, Andrew Mueller, Bryan Moore, David West, Greg Randisi, Greg Westrick, Jonathan Zook, Joseph Roden, Joshua Tirla, Kelly Hetzner, Lina Rigney, Matthew Johnson, Thomas Kolpasky
Amazing Race Around Southfield Team
Andrew Deacon, Ashok Krishnan, Tomi Saveski, Melissa Smith
Banner Contest
Each company decorated a banner with their company and partnered school name. Tiara Smith, engineering manager of Cockpit Systems 4, and her kids volunteered to design DENSO’s banner. Tiara’s kids attended McIntyre Elementary School, the Southfield school DENSO’s partnered with for the competition. Banners were awarded points based on creativity.
School Supplies Drive Results
Here’s where the good cause came in. Throughout the competition, each company collected donations of school supplies for Southfield Public Schools. The more supplies collected, the more points earned. DENSO collected:
- 4090 school supply items
- 145 Extra Credit Point Items
- $3,250.00 Cash Donations
Closing Ceremony
On Thursday, Aug. 9, all associates were invited to attend the Community Cup closing ceremony at the Southfield Civic Center. At the event, all school supplies collected from each business were tallied. School buses carrying the supplies arrived while the Levy Middle School Marching Band performed. Finally, the winner of the Community Cup was announced.
DENSO Gift Provides Drive for College Formula SAE Team
For students looking to join a college Formula One racing team, the way in which their racing vehicle is transported between university and race track likely isn’t top of mind. But dreams of first place finishes can quickly stall without a suitable way to move the car trailer, which requires a truck with a powerful engine to do so. Enter the DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF).
DNAF recently awarded a $50,000 gift to the Oakland University (Rochester, MI) School of Engineering and Computer Science, which allowed them to purchase a brand-new Dodge Ram 2500 crew cab truck, an ideal vehicle for hauling the trailer and precious cargo inside. Prior to that, students had to rely on the generosity (and availability) of family members to offer their personal vehicles to tow the car, which proved to be a constant challenge. Thanks to the DNAF grant, the Grizzlies racing team can transport their hotrod with convenience and style.
“Without supportive sponsors like DENSO, our team members would not be able to apply the theories learned in the classroom and test them in a dynamic real-world setting,” said Adam Delbeke, student president of the Grizzlies Racing team said. “In the past going to events was a logistics nightmare. Now, having the DENSO truck allows us to go to more events and get there with ease. We can’t thank them enough.”
With support from DNAF, the team is turning heads before even unloading their car. Oakland University shares more about the donation and what it means for the students and school.
DIAM Quality Engineers Install Free Fire Alarms
Our associates continue to impact the neighborhoods where they work and live in big ways. In April, 22 quality engineers took time out of their day to volunteer with the American Red Cross’ Sound the Alarm program. These rock star associates installed free fire alarms in homes all over Southeast Michigan. Volunteers like Chris Panke, Justin Higgs, and Rebecca Hagerman, who participate in DENSO’s Worktime Volunteering program, shared the following about their experience:
“The work was very rewarding. It was shocking to learn how vulnerable we all are to the risk of loss due to inadequate fire safety precautions. The numbers shared were staggering and each homeowner was extremely appreciative in our education about those risks along with installing the smoke detectors which can help save them and their family members. It really was an eye-opening experience.” – Chris Panke, Quality Planning, Sr. Manager
“This was a very fun event that helps many people who are less fortunate. It is a very sobering experience to see some of the living conditions that the elderly and former military members are living in, and I was glad to be able to provide them with the extra peace of mind of having working smoke detectors…I hope to volunteer for it in the future.” – Justin Higgs, Field Quality Engineer
“For me, when I signed up to volunteer for the Sound the Alarm program, I wasn’t expecting to make much of a difference by installing smoke detectors. I was wrong. Some of the homes my team visited had zero functioning smoke detectors – zero. Just by installing the smoke detectors and providing the homeowners with valuable information about fire safety within the home and explaining the importance of having a fire escape plan, gave me a rewarding feeling. Like I was making a difference in these peoples’ lives. It was a great experience.” – Rebecca Hagerman, Sr Service/QA Support Specialist
In 2017, DENSO gave a $10,000 grant to support Sound the Alarm. From April 28-May 13, the nationwide program installed over 100,000 free smoke alarms in 100 different cities across the United States. According to the American Red Cross, seven people die from home fires each day. This initiative was created to raise fire safety awareness and save lives.
Thank you to all our employees who exemplify our passion for strengthening communities and keeping them safe. Keep up the good work!
DIAM Volunteers Talk Tech & Vehicle Safety at 2018 DAPCEP STEM Day
Last week, 992 students, grades 7-8, had a scientific day filled with hands-on activities, science experiments, career explorations, peer-to-peer talks and more at the 2018 DAPCEP STEM Day. DIAM Southfield had 6 volunteers to talk “Technology and Vehicle Safety”.
Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) is a nonprofit organization with 40 years of experience partnering with universities, training programs, and K-12 school systems in order to connect youth to the best science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educational experiences in Michigan.
Thank you to our volunteers for helping students build a stronger understanding, appreciation and excitement for STEM!
Below are our volunteers and their speaking topics:
Dana Paul, senior recruiter in Human Resources
Introduction of DENSO International America, Inc.
Yolanda Durfield, senior account manager in Sales & Marketing
“My journey as an Engineer”
Matthew Gesch, application engineer II in AD & ADAS
“AD & ADAS Sensors”
Denise Carlson, vice president in NAPIC Planning
“Automation & Manufacturing”
Oris Rost, material engineer II in NA Material Engineering
“Automation & Manufacturing”
DIAM Engineers Give Back while Stirring up Competition
Our engineers like to compete. From sports leagues to holiday gift donations, they go all out. Our Cockpit Systems* Engineering Division even used DIAM’s Worktime Volunteering program to start its own competition for associates—a competition to see who can pack the most food donation boxes at Focus Hope for low-income seniors in need.
The competition started in Cockpit Systems 3. Dan Tran, an Engineering Senior Manager in Cockpit Systems 3, and his team chose to volunteer at Focus Hope using DIAM’s Worktime Volunteering. The following year, his director encouraged the other departments to participate and make it a division-wide competition.
“I think it’s important for management to be engaged in these types of activities to lead by example” said Dan. “Everyone enjoyed participating at this event and it was a great team bonding experience. We feel like we’ve given back to the community and that we were challenged. When someone saw a packing station falling behind, they jumped in to help keep things moving.”
*Cockpit Systems formerly known as Body Component Systems
The Winners Circle
Over the last few months, four teams competed in the Cockpit Systems Focus Hope challenge. Check out the rankings below to see how the teams fared, and read about the experiences of two associates who participated:
1st Place
Team: Cockpit Systems 3
Packed: 24 pallets (1,325 boxes)
Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (757 boxes/hr)
“I want to commend my team for their commitment because even though it was the worst snow storm of the winter, everyone still made it downtown in time for the activity,” said Victor Vulcu, Engineer 4 in Cockpit Systems 3. “Our team won, but what’s most important was that our team packed a week’s worth of food donations for low-income seniors. I think more teams should do activities like this. It’s a good experience for associates. It’s something tangible and you can see your immediate impact.”
2nd Place
Team: Cockpit Systems 1
Packed: 14 pallets (770 boxes)
Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (513 boxes/hr)
3rd Place
Team: Safety
Packed: 22 pallets (1,200 boxes)
Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (480 boxes/hr)
4th Place
Team: Cockpit Systems 4
Packed: 18 pallets (1,000 boxes)
Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (429 boxes/hr)
“This volunteer activity would not have been successful without our director, Chee Cheong, and the support of our senior managers and managers,” said Nancy Chen, administrative assistant in Cockpit Systems 4. “Our director sent an email to everyone encouraging us to participate. Some associates were hesitant at first, but then they started signing up after seeing the email. The email showed that our director supported the activity during work hours and believed it was meaningful. We felt a sense of community after the activity. We felt like one DENSO team. We’re very proud to represent DENSO at Focus Hope and to show other groups our DENSO Spirit.”
Cockpit Systems Division Total: 78 pallets (4,290 boxes)
Years to Come
“Each year, we want to keep improving to see how we can be more efficient and pack the most boxes possible,” said Dan. “It’s a chance for us to be challenged both mentally and physically. Friendly competition helps drive team motivation and it feels good to support a local organization such as Focus Hope.”
Learn How to use Worktime Volunteering
Click the “Download” button on the upper, right hand side of this story to download information about DIAM’s Worktime Volunteering program.
Take Your Kids to Work Day Photos – Southfield Campus
View and download photos from Take Your Kids to Work Day 2018!
Click this photo to access the online photo album:
Business Case Development Contest Winners
In February, Sales associates participated in the Business Case Development Contest. The annual contest is an opportunity for associates to develop presentation skills & showcase projects to peers & judges. Congrats to our three winners!
Winners
1. Ben Manzella
2. Tina Portner
3. Daniel McCray
All Participants
Daniel McCray, Jack Welsh, Kyle Plumb, Tina Pornter, Amanda Peeters, Ben Manzella, Dominic Sacco
Lunchtime Fitness
Our DENSO associates in Dublin, Ohio got to enjoy a free lunchtime yoga session led by a fitness instructor, all thanks to the City of Dublin FitBiz program!
Dublin, Ohio Awards DENSO Business of the Month
We’re committed to the communities in which we work. DENSO was named the Dublin City Schools Business of the Month for March. Pictured is Bryan Starr, senior manager from Dublin, Ohio, accepting the award.
The Dublin City Schools Board of Education honors one local business partner a month during the school year. Businesses receive this designation for their contributions to a Dublin, Ohio school, support group, or the district at large.
How will DENSO Adapt to the Changing Automotive Industry?
For the 14th consecutive year, DENSO was at the North American International Auto Show in January, and this year, our technology, company leaders and recruiting events all focused on the same thing: how we adapt to the changing automotive industry.
DENSO’s Bill Foy, senior vice president of Engineering, spoke with Automotive News about the future of DENSO and transportation:
“We are retooling our whole strategic vision as a company,” Foy said. “Hardware remains very important for a vehicle, but we’re also moving to services [that enhance mobility], which is a whole different mindset for us as a company. Second, we used to be a company that did everything internally. Now, we are looking for partners beyond what we can do today. So, we can begin to create value for the future. And we used to be very Japan-centric. Now we are very global.
Beyond DENSO’s products, Foy said, the company is working on changing the mindset of employees. “How do we get the passion out of people, the maximum value and having them working on things that excite them?”
2017 Technical Presentation Development Contest Winners
Congratulations to Siddharth Dasgupta on placing first in the 2017 Technical Presentation Development contest. Each year, engineers in Southfield, MI hone their presentation skills by showcasing their projects in front of a panel of judges for best overall presentation and insight into problem-solving, product innovation and efficiency. Second place was a tie between Tyryn Crow and Alec Bergweiler.
DENSO Bot Competes In Battle Of The CES Robot Baristas
Did you know DENSO featured a line of robots at CES in 2017? DENSO’s COBOTTA robots showed CES guests what future, day-to-day life could be like if people and robots collaborated more. For instance, one of our robots acted as a “Barista-bot” that brewed and served coffee to our DENSO booth visitors on the spot!
A few other companies also showcased their own Barista-bots at CES. Wondering how DENSO’s robot barista fared against Bosch and Aubo? Click here to find out which bot made the best cup of joe.
More About Our DENSO Bots
DENSO has been a leader in manufacturing automation, including the design and manufacturing of industrial robot arms, since the 1960’s. Now, we use more than 17,000 of our own robots at DENSO manufacturing facilities across the globe. And, more than 85,000 DENSO robots are used for precision assembly, manufacturing, product testing and quality assurance by other companies worldwide.