Who We Are

ABOUT US

DDS is a premier product content provider, developed by veterans of the distribution industry, helping distributors and manufacturers deliver next-generation content and an exceptional e-commerce experience to their customers.

With more than 50 combined years of intimate knowledge and experience running a successful distributorship, we bring unrivaled industry expertise—together with the most advanced data technologies and top-tier software and data engineers—to offer the most unique and advanced solutions available.

 

We have taken a revolutionary technical approach to the challenges facing both distributors and manufacturers, resulting in the most complete data solutions on the market.

WHO WE SERVE

DDS was founded with the goal of helping distributors navigate and conquer the challenges of today’s e-commerce landscape. Through our outside-the-box approach to solving these problems, we have developed sophisticated processes and technologies that allow us to assist distributors, manufacturers and other industry partners with innovative solutions for a wide range of technology and business needs.

  • DISTRIBUTORS

    • Innovative solutions to power your
      e-commerce website
    • Enhanced Product Content
    • Product Maintenance
    • Taxonomy Management
    • + More

  • MANUFACTURERS

    • Intelligent solutions to help you deliver the best product content to distributors
    • Product Content Syndication
    • Translated Content
    • ETIM Classification
    • + More

  • MANUFACTURER REPS

    • Online product catalog solution for manufacturer rep agencies
    • Enhanced Product Content
    • Dedicated, Branded Web Catalog
    • Request for Quote (RFQ) Generator
    • + More

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

Based on our own experience building an e-commerce website, we recognized an opportunity to vastly improve how distributors obtain and organize product data from hundreds of manufacturers. As with our past successful ventures, we brought in some seriously smart people from some of the world’s largest technology and data companies, and looked to some of the most advanced technology in the world to develop processes that would benefit everyone from manufacturers and distributors all the way down to the most important person—your customer.

THE PROBLEM

Until now, distributors wanting to list a manufacturer’s products on an e-commerce site have been up against a very difficult, very expensive and very manual process to obtain incomplete product content. Even the best attempts by the biggest organizations have relied on 20th-century technology to try to get information from point A (manufacturer’s files) to point B (distributor’s website), and the results have been mediocre at best.

 

. . .Welcome to the 21st century.

THE SOLUTION

First and foremost, we knew a key ingredient in this special recipe would be a handful of exceptional people with some very special talents. It helps that our own backyard—the ever-growing Salt Lake City and Wasatch Front area, recently dubbed “Silicon Slopes”—is ripe with outstanding talent.

 

We engaged innovative senior-level software engineers and ultra-savvy data engineers, all with diverse experience from outside industries, and took an outside-the-box approach to designing a solution for this complex problem. Instead of following existing solution providers and technologies (still mostly manual, and therefore archaic and prone to errors), we asked questions like, “What exactly do end-user customers want to see?”; “What content exists, and in what form, from manufacturers?”; and, “How can technology turn that disparate content into an elegant experience?”

From these questions came our commitment to utilize the most advanced technologies in the world to create customer-focused solutions that are designed and built specifically for the requirements and realities of today’s wholesale distribution industry.

THE DDS DIFFERENCE

Our team of world-class software and data engineers continues to design elegant solutions to tackle the toughest challenges facing distributors and manufacturers in the new era of commerce.

SMART DATA TECHNOLOGIES

It starts with hiring the brightest minds in the data business. That, combined with the most intelligent data technologies available, results in the finest, most complete product content in the wholesale distribution industry.

PURPOSE-BUILT SOLUTIONS

Designed and built from day one specifically for the wholesale distribution industry, with the goal of not only meeting, but exceeding, tomorrow’s e-commerce expectations.

IN-DEPTH INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

With more than 50 years of combined experience developing innovative solutions in the distribution industry and calling on end users, we understand the business and where it’s going.

CUSTOMER-FOCUSED SOLUTIONS

Our service, support and responsiveness set us apart every bit as much as our industry-leading content. Our primary goal is to assist our customers with sophisticated data and technology solutions to help them increase sales and market share while conquering the challenges of this new era.

TRUSTED PARTNER

Whether you are a distributor or a manufacturer—small, medium or large—we can cost-effectively help you solve your product content and other business technology challenges. And we take product content to the next level: we maintain it for you at no additional cost. Our customers view us as a true competitive advantage.

COMPLETE MANUFACTURER MESSAGING

All product information comes from one source—the manufacturers. When distributors are able to display all of their manufacturers’ information on their website, it ensures they are the go-to source for their customers.

OUR TEAM

At DDS, our “secret sauce” is a combination of distribution expertise and technological wizardry that allows us to envision and deliver solutions for world-class content and customer experiences.

LEADERSHIP

DALE P. HOLT

CEO

With more than 40 years of experience running a successful distributorship, Dale’s passion for smart ideas continues to drive him as CEO and “fearless leader” of DDS.

MATT CHRISTENSEN

President

As President, Matt handles much of the day-to-day operations at DDS. Always a perfectionist, he strives for excellence whether at work or at play.

DATA TEAM

JOEL MANCHAK

Director of Data Operations

If our talented data engineers are our Dream Team (and they are), Joel is their All-Pro Captain.

JAMES WOODBURN

DDX Product Manager

A passionate sports fan and ever-aspiring geek, James plays a leading role in getting our manufacturers and distributors ready for prime time with DDX.

TYLER WOODBURN

Data Engineer

One of the youngest DDS team members, Tyler has an insatiable appetite for learning. In homage to his original career plans, he regularly reminds his co-workers that “Geology Rocks!”

BRYCE DRAPER

Data Engineer

Bryce may have solidified his role as DDS’ office jester, but he’s equally valuable as a rockstar data engineer.

JD LAURET

Data Engineer

Star Wars LEGO aficionado and lover of Asian cuisine, JD is a go-getter who brings serious Python skills to our Data team.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

TYSON NAVVAB-SAFAVI

Director of Software Engineering

Tyson may have a boast-worthy resume, but he’s as modest as he is hard-working, and he’s always striving to be the best software engineer (and downright good dude) he can be.

BENJAMIN GRAFF

Senior Software Engineer

Software developer by day, home improvement guru by night, Benjamin may be the very definition of multi-talented.

SEAN CARRICO

Senior Software Engineer

Sean is a self-proclaimed data and information junkie, but we prefer to call him a walking encyclopedia.

IGOR BIRIOUKOV

Senior Software Engineer

Nuclear physicist-turned-software engineer, Igor delivers mad programming chops, with a side of comic relief, to DDS’ Dev Team.

CRAIG MERRELL

Senior Software Engineer

Craig is a native Utahn, and equal parts burgeoning coder and outdoor adventurer. His passion for problem-solving is second only to his love for the mountains.

SALES

COLLEEN EHRHARDT

Director of Global Sales

A veteran of the B2B e-commerce industry, Colleen is a new and epic addition to our team, not to mention an absolute pleasure to be around.

MARKETING

JENNY CHRISTENSEN

Director of Marketing

Jenny is effectively our in-house creative agency, and never backs down from a creative challenge.

ACCOUNTING/HR

DIANE SCHMIDT

Director of Accounting + HR

Our one-woman accounting and HR pro, Diane handles all the moolah and helps take care of DDS’ most important resources: the human ones.