Fred Dotson’s career path toward law enforcement took a dive the moment he applied for a position with a lake patrol enforcement authority in upstate Connecticut. Two decades later, Dotson will take the lead role of daily operations of an international business for the man who encouraged him to think about a much different avocation.
Dotson, a resident of Morris, Conn. and a native of Newtown, Conn., has been promoted to President at CULTEC, Inc., the pioneering leader in the manufacturing of plastic stormwater chambers for commercial and residential projects. He succeeds Robert DiTullio, Jr., who will become the business’ Chief Business Development Officer. Robert DiTullio, Sr., who founded the company in 1986, is the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
Dotson joined CULTEC after a chance meeting with Robert DiTullio, Sr., more than 20 years ago. DiTullio served as Commissioner of the Lake Police at Lake Lillinonah, the second largest lake in Connecticut that is bordered by six towns in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Dotson had recently graduated with a degree in criminal justice from Western Connecticut State University and assisted DiTullio on lake patrol. “I was preparing to be a cop,’’ Dotson said. “Bob asked me to come work for him but take whatever time I needed to take tests and said to me hopefully, you’ll find a career with CULTEC. I said I don’t think so, I want to be cop. Twenty years later, here I am.”
“We got along great,’’ DiTullio said. “He’s almost like another son to me. It’s a natural fit. He listens well, and he understands the business. He got in on the ground floor.”
When Dotson joined the business, Robert DiTullio, Sr., his son and his daughter, Gina Carolan, were the only full-time employees. “It was so primitive back then,’’ Dotson said. “I would be doing my own drawings, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I learned as I went.”
Dotson eventually moved into a sales role and worked with engineers to design stormwater relief systems. He did not have any formal sales training. “I’d go out on the road, pitch the idea and learn from the experiences,’’ he said. “We figured it out together. We were both educating each other.”
“Fred would even load trucks,’’ DiTullio Sr. said. “He was dependable. We never had an issue with how he did things. He knew every aspect of the business.”
Dotson rose to the rank of Vice President of CULTEC before becoming President. He has helped increase world-wide market share at and will now oversee the business’ daily operations.
“My immediate goal is to get everybody working together like a finely-tuned machine,’’ Dotson said. “That includes all the departments, including technical support, sales, testing, production and design. It’s essential to work together as a team.”
In his new role, Robert DiTullio, Jr., will focus his energy on expanding CULTEC’s reach, particularly in markets in the Southeast region of the United States. He moved to North Carolina last year to prepare for his new responsibilities. “This will allow me to develop strategic business relationships that will benefit CULTEC,’’ DiTullio, Jr. said. “This position requires more frequent travel and this newly-created job allows me to do so without also sacrificing the daily functionality of the main office.”
The moves come as CULTEC continues to increase market share in national and international markets. In January, CULTEC and Armtec LP announced they reached an agreement for Armtec to be the exclusive distributor for CULTEC’s stormwater management products.
“In the past five years, CULTEC has dramatically expanded its reach and product lines,’’ Robert DiTullio, Sr. said. “With these changes, we feel we are poised to further develop our business and maintain our position as the industry leader in the manufacturing of plastic stormwater chambers.”
CULTEC was honored in February as one of the top family-owned businesses in Fairfield County by Westfair Communications, publishers of the Fairfield County Business Journal. Robert DiTullio Sr.’s wife, Christina, serves as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Gina Carolan, his daughter, is CULTEC’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of Marketing and another daughter, Lisa Lynch, is the Customer Service Supervisor.
Dotson said ditching a potential career in law enforcement to join CULTEC has proven to be the right choice. “I would’ve been miserable, working nights and weekends and not seeing my family,’’ Dotson said. “I’m proud to be a non-family member that could step up and assume this role. I hope the experiences I had in every aspect of the business will help me guide the team that we have to be successful by working together.”
ABOUT CULTEC
CULTEC prides itself on being an R&D-based manufacturer and places a strong emphasis on product development. In 1986, CULTEC introduced its Contactor and Recharger septic and stormwater chambers to the industry and helped to begin a revolution towards the usage of plastic construction products. As the creator of the plastic chamber, CULTEC has been awarded the title of “The Founder of Plastic Chamber Technology”. CULTEC’s worldwide presence includes chamber installations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. Its products are manufactured at ISO 9001:2008 facilities for strict quality control. Select profiles meet the performance requirements of IAPMO, ASTM and AASHTO (Section 12) LRFD standards, as well as achieve third-party certification to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) B184 standard for Polymeric Subsurface Stormwater Management Structures. In addition, CULTEC chambers are constructed of impact-modified and long-term creep resistant polymers, ensuring that the chambers achieve a minimum 50-year service life. CULTEC’s corporate headquarters is in Brookfield, Connecticut. Learn more at www.cultec.com.