Casias, president of DC Interiors, now has offices nationwide and recently opened her new warehouse, office and showroom in January. Not only does her new office provide valuable and needed workspace for her employees, but also clients are able to see a working office, as Casias uses the very products DC Interiors provides for purchase.
Since she started the company six years ago, she has seen her business grow. DC Interiors now caters to federal government contracts all around the United States. Some of her clients in San Antonio include Fort Sam Houston, Randolph Air Force Base and Texas A&M. DC Interiors also serves state and local municipalities.
In 2009, DC Interiors was awarded the Administrator’s Award for Excellence by the U.S. Small Business Administration for its outstanding contribution and service to the nation in satisfying the needs of the federal procurement system. DC Interiors also received an award from the 12th Contracting Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base, presented by the San Antonio Business Opportunity Council.
Casias began her career working at a bank in San Antonio. After several years, she moved to Los Angeles, Calif., to further her education. Funding for her education became difficult, so Casias took on a job at an office furniture company and attended school part time.
“I started out, because of my accounting background, doing the books, but then I started seeing that sales people made a bunch of commission,” Casias said. “I started hanging out with the interior designer, I learned a lot from her and to make a long story short, I became the top sales person. I thought, ‘This is something I want to do.’”
Casias then decided to return to San Antonio three years later, when she got engaged during the trip home. Her husband, Sgt. Roland Casias, is a 26-year veteran with the San Antonio Police Department who also serves as DC Interiors’ vice president. Casias’ friend, Eddie Herrera, had just bought an office furniture company that did business with the federal government in San Antonio, and he offered her a job when she arrived. Casias has sold office furniture for 20 years now.
Casias has kept her family close throughout the years. Casias is the fourth of eight children, and she has used her business to help her family. “I learned, back in the day when I thought everything was about success, about being driven and working 18- to 19-hour days. There’s more to life than that,” Casias said. “I learned when my father passed away, you have to slow down and appreciate your family.”
Casias employs members of her family in the warehouse as installers and in the office. Her sister, Jessica Cevallos, joined DC Interiors four years ago as the office manager.
“We grew up in a house with very limited funds,” Cevallos said. “Darlene, pretty much growing up, has always taken the role of taking care of us. We always knew that she was going to be somebody.”
Casias says she learned the values that made her successful from her father. Her father spent his career as a salesperson working for Lockheed Martin Corp. Casias grew up in both Texas and California, as her father often traveled between the states due to work.
“My father was a sales rep all his life,” Casias said. “I watched him sell all his life, and he was great. The most important thing my father taught me was integrity, and that your word is your honor.”
The lessons Casias’ father taught her definitely influenced her business practices. Casias considers all of her employees like family. She also knows how important it is to have health care. As soon as DC Interiors had enough funding, she provided all of her employees with health care benefits, including vision and dental.
Casias also never starts any of her employees at minimum wage; she always gives them a livable salary. She knows she has families depending on her every day. The more DC Interiors grows financially, the more she plans to give to her employees. Her next goal is to provide a retirement package for her employees.
Casias has two children: Meagan, 15, and John Isaac, 10. Her children enjoy dance and karate, and although she is very busy, she finds the time to spend with them. She would love to hand off the company to the children when they grow up, but if they decide to do something else, Casias knows she has plenty of family members in the company who can take over.
Casias has depended on her family and strong work ethic to achieve her goals, but she has also depended on her faith. “We have a very strong religious background,” she said. “I still rely on prayer to get me through every day.”
There are plenty of goals Casias has for her company. DC Interiors owns its trucks, has factory-trained installers and licensed interior designers. With its new office, DC Interiors is now branching out to the commercial market in addition to the government, and it’s ready to meet that challenge. DC Interiors’ strong reputation is already earning it new clients.
To learn more about DC Interiors, visit the company website at www.dcioffice.com.
