About DSW Manufacturing Inc.
DSW Manufacturing Inc. is a Custom Fabrication and Manufacturing Company founded in 2003 by Dean Oster and his wife Shauna.
Dean is a passionate entrepreneur with a vision for designing and manufacturing high-quality products.
With a focus on high-quality workmanship and attention to detail, we specialize in a range of projects and products that range from trailer accessories and cabinets to components for hydrovac trucks and the dairy industry. Our journey began in 2003 when we started as a side business in our garage while working at a local trailer company.
Since then, we have grown steadily and invested in state-of-the-art CNC equipment and 3D CAD, allowing us to take products from concept to completion in-house. Our team takes pride in the work we do, and we are dedicated to involving them in new designs and processes. With a team of seven employees, we have the expertise and capabilities to deliver exceptional results every time.
To learn more about DSW Manufacturing Inc and what we can do for your project please follow the links below:
An Interview with DEAN OSTER
Tell us about your company: history, startup date, etc.
We started DSW Manufacturing Inc. in 2003 as a side business in our garage while I was working at Allan Dale Trailers. Allan Dale gave us the opportunity to build a few trailer accessories for their store, we started with wall hooks and one-by-one designed products together that we are still producing today and they are distributing across Canada and the US.
We bought our first commercial bay in 2006 and moved out of the garage and into the bay. In 2012 I left my day job to run our business full-time and hired our first employee. After our first year of full-time business, 2013, we sold our bay and bought a bigger one. We have since continued with our slow but steady growth, invested in CNC equipment, leased more space, and have had up to 7 employees recently.
Vision/mission statement
Our vision is to provide high-quality, innovative products, and great service for our customers
What is the primary focus of your business, products, and services offered?
Along with our trailer accessories, we have developed our own aluminum cabinet and toolbox line, customize many trailers and vans, as well as produce parts for dairy processing, hydro vac trucks, new homes, and many other markets.
Our strength comes from our ability to take products from concept to completion in-house with our 3D CAD capabilities, our in-house CNC cutting, CNC forming, welding, electrical, finishing, assembly, and installations.
In which ways has your business grown and changed?
Our business has grown from working in our garage with small manual machines to owning a 3300-square-foot shop and leasing another 2000-square-foot bay in the same complex where we do our custom trailer and van conversions. We have constantly upgraded and added machines and tools such as our CNC router, CNC brake, shear, plate rolls, welding machines, and computer systems and software.
The last 10 years have given us a less-than-ideal economy yet we have managed to keep growing by accepting any challenges that come our way. We have expanded from a few simple products to producing many components for other manufacturing facilities, designing and producing a wide range of projects for customers, and marketing our own cabinetry, tanks, boxes, etc.
What attracted you to doing business in the Red Deer Region?
Growing up on a farm east of Torrington, I always loved visiting Red Deer. After college, I moved to Red Deer and found a great job that introduced me to a great number of local businessmen which developed into a network of customers who have given us tremendous support. The Red Deer business community has always felt like a big small town.
Do you have an example of when your company has been innovative in your marketplace?
During the pandemic, we shifted gears and designed covid barriers for our restaurant customers. We tooled up our CNC to produce the new components and quickly supplied and installed a lot of barriers.
Has your company developed a new product, service, or practice? Can you describe how you develop or innovate?
We have developed many new products over the years. A good example would be the folding benches we build for trailers such as snowmobile trailers. It started out as a request from a customer to build a bench for his trailer which led us to design and build a prototype. We then started building and selling them at Allan Dale. In 2013 I did a complete redesign of the concept. I used 3D CAD to design the bench so we can take advantage of our CNC equipment and increase efficiency. Allan Dale sells hundreds of these units every year now, sending them all over Canada and the US.
Tell us about what product or service makes your business stand out locally.
I think our cabinet design makes us stand out. We have a great system and have built many beautiful cabinets in trailers, vans, garages, shops, and outdoor kitchens. I believe we build some of the nicest, and best-built aluminum cabinets in North America.
How do you encourage your staff to embrace change and innovation?
Our staff takes a great deal of pride in the work we do. I do my best to teach and involve them with new designs and processes. They are typically excited to try new things because they like seeing the results.
Did we peak your interest?