BY DENNE GOLDSTEIN
11/04

After graduating from high school, DiMino thought it was time to see what other parts of the country looked like, and how people in those places lived. Such an opportunity presented itself when he applied for and was accepted at Marquette University in Wisconsin.

While growing up, DiMino learned about a good work ethic and hard work. It seemed to have paid off because he easily graduated in four years with a bachelor’s degree. Not one to linger, after graduation DiMino went to work for American Hospital Supply, working out of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office in the sales department. He worked his way up the sales ladder, and was promoted to sales manager. Having acquired some experience along the way, DiMino was offered a sales and marketing job with United Health Care.

By 1988, DiMino joined a privately held company that made and rented uniforms. The company was doing approximately $20 million annually. “They let me in the family,” DiMino related. Fourteen years later, he became president, and sales reached $175 million. When the family sold the company to Cintas, DiMino stayed on and continued to build sales to $210 million. Then the entrepreneurial spirit within him began to call. While DiMino was honing his skills, LESCO, a company based in Cleveland, Ohio, was taking off. Founded in 1982, the company went public in September, 1984.

The model for their business was to set up stores and service centers in various areas of the country to cater to landscape contractors, lawn care operators, golf course superintendents, and the like. These stores stocked fertilizer, turf chemicals, mowers, parts—everything the professional would need.

In addition, a “Store-on-Wheels” concept was refined. LESCO developed routes, like a bread or cake or Coca-Cola route. Instead of calling on supermarkets, these Stores-on- Wheels would call on golf course superintendents. The trucks were large enough to be set up as showrooms to display products, as well as carrying some inventory. What a wonderful opportunity to service the golf course superintendent, and build relationships. There are now 75 Stores-on-Wheels serving various parts of this great country, with more to come.

However, in 2001, the founders of LESCO realized they needed some new blood at the top. An executive search firm was retained to acquire a top manager. The job of an executive search firm is to find the best people to fit the job description, and submit their names to the company that retained them.

Such was the case with DiMino. Since he had aspirations to run a publicly held company, when he was recruited, he accepted the job as chief operating officer in Decem ber 2001; he was named president and chief executive officer of LESCO in April 2002. He saw an opportunity where he could apply his experience, given that he had been successful in running a privately held company. This 46-yearold dynamo jumped in with both feet. He felt this was a dream come true.

Today, in addition to the 75 trucks rolling around the country, there are 274 service centers. Over the next two years, 50 to 60 more are planned, with 30-35 new stores coming on stream in 2005. They are presently in 39 states.

Beside fertilizer and turf chemicals, these service centers also sell a private label lawn mower, as well as sprayers and spreaders. These products are made of heavy-gauge steel, and are for the commercial operator.

But the company goes a step further than just selling to the contractor. DiMino feels it is important to help these customers, especially the small contractor. Many will come to the service centers and ask basic business questions. “We have to take a leadership position,” stressed DiMino. “Under our stewardship, we can help ensure that our customers become even more successful by giving them proper business tips. This is what LESCO is all about.”

DiMino and his wife Joni, and two sons, Michael 12, and John 10, reside in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. In his spare time he loves to build and fly radio-controlled model airplanes, but most of all, he enjoys just being with his kids and Joni.

There’s no doubt in this writer’s mind that the values DiMino learned as a young man and put into practice at an early age are responsible for his success. He is living his dream, and is making a difference along the way.

G

rowing up, you could say that Michael DiMino led a sheltered life. As a young boy in Boston, Massachusetts, DiMino didn’t realize that there was an entire world outside the neighborhood in which he lived. Coming from a hard working, devout family, DiMino attended Jesuit schools, and although he read about other places and cities, he somehow couldn’t picture them in hismind’s eye.