Dan has been employed with Davey Textile Solutions (DTS) for 30 years, becoming a co-owner in 2000. He has a diploma in Civil Engineering Technology and a degree in Computer Science majoring in business applications. Dan started his career in the petroleum industry, but his focus quickly changed to the textile industry. In his position as VP Production/R&D, Dan focuses on operational excellence (including Lean/Six Sigma methodology), material production, contractor management, and new product developments. Dan's passion for computer science led him to undertake IIOT developments within DTS. Work in this area was initially developed through a student capstone project, with Uptake continuing the full-scale rollout. Dan is now exploring control systems and AI/ML, as well as methods for utilizing block chain within DTS. Dan combines his IT background with his extensive textile experience to realize new, innovative opportunities for the organization, including recycling post-consumer aramid garments, developing sustainable organic fibres from locally sourced cellulose, designing end-of-life sensors for firefighter bunker suits, and many more.