Dan Lee, who has 15 years’ experience at the helm of high-performing asset-based industrial services businesses, has been appointed CEO of Workdry International (“Workdry”), the leading provider of engineered asset rental solutions for the handling and treatment of water and wastewater.
Dan will work closely with Arcus Infrastructure Partners (“Arcus”), a leading European infrastructure investment firm, which manages funds holding a majority shareholding in Workdry, to deliver on its strategy to establish the Group as the number one provider of pump and wastewater treatment rental solutions in the UK and Europe.
His appointment follows Workdry’s recent acquisition of Vanderkamp, which brought a leading Dutch pump rental solutions specialist into the Workdry Group alongside its established Selwood and Siltbuster businesses.
Dan said: “I am excited to be joining Workdry International at a time of huge momentum, inheriting a business that is in great shape and embarking on a new phase of domestic and international growth.
“In my time getting to know the business I’ve already been hugely impressed by the Workdry, Selwood, Siltbuster, and Vanderkamp businesses – and particularly by the professionalism, expertise and commitment of their teams.
“Workdry’s success is built on those exceptional people and their commitment to sustainability, innovation and strong partnership with customers, which will be the foundation stones of future growth.
“I am looking forward to working with a dedicated team of colleagues to help deliver the vision and strategy for the coming years as Workdry continues to grow organically and through acquisition to expand on its leading position in asset rental solutions for water and wastewater handling and treatment in the UK and Europe.”
Dan joins Workdry with a strong track record in capital equipment rental and service businesses. He began his industry career with US-based industrial chemical service provider NCH Group before moving to industrial parts cleaning and washer hire services specialist Safetykleen, where he spent 11 years in senior leadership roles.
Following the sale of Safetykleen to private equity firm Apax Partners in 2017, Dan served as Group Managing Director at workplace services leader phs Group. He subsequently founded chemical surface treatment business Krystal Kleen Heritage UK, which was acquired in 2020, and served as President of EMEA region at Tosca, a global leader in reusable packaging and performance pooling solutions.
He takes the reins from outgoing CEO Richard Brown, who is retiring after almost three decades in various roles at Selwood and Workdry.
Richard said: “Dan has a very strong track record in building a positive and inclusive work environment. He is full of energy, passion and vision, and is ready to lead the business to new heights, focused on delivering growth while supporting our fantastic teams to deliver outstanding service and solutions to our customers. I am in no doubt that the best days for our business lie ahead under his leadership.”
Jordan Cott, Partner at Arcus, said: “Dan has an exceptional track record as a leader in the industrial asset rental and solutions space across the UK and Europe. His core focus on supporting his people and delivering the highest quality solutions for customers, coupled with his vision-led strategic thinking and deep understanding of long-term value creation levers, will make him an ideal leader to champion Workdry through its next chapter of growth.
“We at Arcus look forward to working with Dan and the team to build on Workdry’s enviable track record and growth ambitions by investing in innovation and new markets – a journey that has already begun with the recent acquisition of Vanderkamp and which we are excited to continue in the months and years to come.”