John Magee of VLS Environmental Solutions was named an EY US Entrepreneur Of The Year庐 2026 Gulf South Award winner. He is Chief Executive Officer of VLS Environmental Solutions, one of North America’s premier providers of industrial waste management, railcar cleaning and repair, and marine services. Since joining VLS in 2020 as CEO and President, he led a period of tremendous transformational growth, expanding the company to more than 50 locations and 1,500 employees across North America.
Under his leadership, VLS has completed twelve strategic acquisitions, expanded operations into Mexico, achieved more than 200% growth, and maintained an industry-leading safety record. John continues to drive operational excellence, sustainable growth, and innovation as VLS strengthens its position as a market leader in sustainable solutions.
Prior to VLS, John co-founded and served as President and CEO of Crane Worldwide Logistics, growing the company from startup to nearly $1 billion in annual revenue, with operations spanning more than 30 countries and over 2,200 employees.
Commenting on the award, Magee said: “I am an entrepreneur at heart 鈥� what energizes me is that constant pursuit of learning in service of building something great. I’ve always believed you can have a grand vision and still be humble enough to know you don’t have all the answers, which is why I surround myself with the smartest people I can find. Whether I’m founding a company from scratch, as I did with Crane Worldwide in 2008, or stepping in as a transformational leader, as I have at VLS, the focus is the same: question conventional wisdom, empower people to lead, and hold each other truly accountable. That spirit is what I believe has driven our growth from historic single digits to the 40%+ CAGR we’ve sustained since I joined 鈥� and more importantly, it’s what has changed not just VLS, but the environmental services industry at large.鈥�
A recognized business leader, John was named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Gulf Coast Area in the Manufacturing and Distribution category and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of North Texas, where he served on the board of the Center for Logistics and Supply Chain Management.