Gary Gardner has served as COO and has recently taken over the helm of Industrial Specialty Services (ISS) as their CEO.
The recent merger with Leak Sealers has greatly enhanced ISS’s capabilities and expansion goals.
Gardner’s career started at Browning Ferris Industries (BFI), which he credits with establishing a strong financial discipline. BFI, he said, had a very disciplined approach to budgeting and planning — lessons he says he never lost.
A conversation with Gary Gardner
Gary Gardner, CEO, Industrial Specialty Services
“I ended up at Allwaste/PSC, as regional VP of Gulf and West Coast operations. This allowed me to understand the U.S. market and how to oversee a large organization and propel it forward. I was then president of Furmanite America. I learned engineered technical services and how that industry operated and differed from industrial cleaning,” he said.
Gardner’s repertoire of skills and knowledge led to his current position with ISS, following the significant merger of ISS and Leak Sealers. “ISS carved a small, technical, engineered services business out of a multi-billion dollar painting and scaffolding company,” he said.
“ISS did a tremendous job assembling some of the best subject matter experts and technicians in the industry, but lacked in-house engineering and the ability to manufacture its own leak sealing clamps and hot tap fittings. We now have a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility supported by a robust engineering group,” Gardner said.
Gardner added that the most important part of his position is establishing the culture of the organization. His goal is to have a culture of self-disciplined people who will go to extreme measures to safely satisfy its customers’ needs.
“We want a culture of collaboration and inclusion that provides an environment where people can excel. Our desire is to have the best technical experts in the industry and to ensure they are involved where they can best support customers and people in the field,” added Gardner
As ISS’s leading man, he prides himself on establishing a highly collaborative organization. He believes in bringing the right group of people together to openly discuss and debate everything from how to perform a difficult job safely and efficiently to charting the direction of the company in a way that best ensures its success. It is because of this success, has turned around numerous underperforming companies. Without exception, Gardner says, the path to success is to focus on the people in key roles.
He questioned: “Do we have the right people in the roles where they can be the most successful?” He is focused on recruiting and bringing in the industry’s best talent who are passionate about their work. A small group of passionate people can accomplish more than a huge group of people who are indifferent about their jobs, he said.
“Therefore, I stay hyperfocused on the right people in the right role.”
Gardner says a good home/work life balance comes and goes depending on what is going on in the business. He credits his wife, Kathy, for her support.
“She knows the business and its expectations. We are blessed with three children and two grandchildren, all of whom live very close. We prioritize family get-togethers and interactions as much as possible,” he said.
For more information, visit isservices.com or call (346)708-0989.
