OUR HISTORY
Our Beginnings are Humble, but Our Dreams are Big
Drawing on his experience in the Air Force, Odell Steele dreamt of building a mechanical contracting firm not only committed to excellence, integrity, innovation and the well-being of others, but recognized for its unparalleled work-ethic. Armed with ambition, an idea, and one employee, he did just that, establishing Steele’s Mechanical in 1972. As the firm became recognized for those values, we flourished, initially operating from a building located in Odell’s own backyard to twice relocating the office — the last being our current location at 1710 Charlotte Highway in Lancaster, SC.
Fast forward forty years, and we now consist of 55+ employees with 70 years of combined experience. Odell continues to contribute, but now enjoys his well-deserved retirement, comfortable knowing his legacy is safe in the hands of our new president, Dan Bailey. Under Dan’s experienced guidance, we remain true to Odell’s dream, honoring the success his business formula has produced, but also building upon it so we may continue to produce facilities throughout the Carolinas that operate in the most efficient manner imaginable – just as we have for the past 40 years and just as we intend to for the next four decades.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Tailor Made for the Task
“One organization has produced more business owners than any other single institution in the nation. It has a proven track record of teaching leadership, strategic planning, creative problem-solving, task execution, and resiliency—all traits essential to business ownership. It is not a fancy MBA or university program. The organization is the United States military.”
— Mark L. Rockefeller,
Forbes Contributor and
CEO and Co-Founder of StreetShares
We’re proud to count our two leaders as members of that elite group of veteran business owners. Our president, Dan Bailey and Founder, Odell Steele, served in the United States Army and Air Force, respectively. They skillfully apply the lessons they learned — risk management, strategic planning, creative-problem solving, and unwavering resiliency to name a few — to successfully lead our company. We are grateful to them and all our country’s service men and women, past and present. THANK YOU.
Dan Bailey
Dan Bailey is truly a product of his environment. As a young boy, he was surrounded by men who put their country first, serving in the United States Army as far back as his great grandfather. So, when high school graduation approached, Dan chose to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, serving as a Construction Engineer and Paratrooper for six years. Shortly after his discharge from the Army, Dan continued to grow within the construction industry, drawing once more upon his childhood influences; this time from one of his best friend’s fathers — a man Dan credits with teaching him many of life’s most important lessons — Ron Haston. Ron owned Charlotte-based Andrew Roby Construction and hired Dan as laborer during his high school summers. Dan took the lessons he learned during this time and added to them, acquiring even greater experience in mechanical system operations and safety management techniques. He continues to apply the lessons he learned while working with Ron and serving our country, establishing clear strategic missions for our team to execute seamlessly. He leads by example, keeping the team’s goals in focus, but with a flexibility that allows for innovation.
Outside of work, Dan possesses an active civic and social life. He is a graduate of York County’s Leadership Training Program, Class of 2018, and an involved participant at his church, Westminster Presbyterian in Rock Hill. He enjoys cheering on the North Carolina Tarheels and University of Alabama Crimson Tide with his Dad as well as spending time with his wife, Hailey, and their son, whom they welcomed to the world in July 2017.
Odell Steele
Odell Steele is the definition of a self-made man. As a child working his family’s farm, he learned the value of a hard day’s work, cultivating the strong work ethic he still possesses today. He further reinforced that same can-do attitude during his years of service in the U.S. Air Force. There he refined his mechanical expertise and acquired the leadership skills he would utilize in the years come.
Following his discharge from the Air Force, Odell worked for a variety of businesses before opening Steele’s Mechanical in 1972. For the past four decades, Odell led the employees of Steele’s Mechanical by example, never asking any employee to do anything he wouldn’t do himself. He credits the company’s success to those same employees, claiming their loyalty is the backbone of the company.
A lifelong Methodist, Odell currently attends First United Methodist Church. When not travelling for missionary work with his son, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two children, and five grandchildren. Odell also loves a challenging game of golf, so much so that he never leaves home without his clubs. He serves on the Board of Senior Golfers of South Carolina and as Chairman of the Richburg Fire Protection Board.
OUR APPROACH
A Proven Formula of Partnership, Safety and Client Commitment
After 40 years in business we can confidently say, we’ve seen a lot, if not all. While that certainly contributes to our expertise, it doesn’t dictate our approach. Our team of system experts understand that every project is unique and requires an individualized approach. To craft your personalized plan, we listen with intent — our objective to acquire the insight necessary to produce solutions that seamlessly integrate with your facility’s overall design and function. We then put that plan in to action, drawing upon our years of expertise to safely, efficiently and economically deliver the best possible outcome for you and your facility … ALWAYS.
Partnership: Two Heads Are Better Than One
As veterans, Dan Bailey and Odell Steele learned firsthand of the benefits of partnership and of relying on their team members. Odell later founded our company on this belief, and Dan continues to reinforce it today, encouraging our team to draw upon their wider pool of expertise, experience, and skills to produce the innovative outcomes our company is known for. Our team-oriented approach promotes high levels of communication and transparency, both imperative to the success of any project. It not only allows for an open exchange of ideas, but also provides the collaborative effort necessary to more effectively identify and evaluate the project’s objectives, schedules and opportunities — a proven-formula for successful project delivery. Period.
Safety: It’s Non-Negotiable
Ensuring that all those that work for and with us return home to their loved ones each night is monumental responsibility — One in which we do not take lightly. We are unwavering in our commitment to worker safety from our president, who is OSHA 500 and MESH certified, to our newest employee. In fact, for us, safety is non-negotiable. We demand strict adherence to our safety policies, infusing their importance into our very company culture. We actively provide our employees with safety resources, including a comprehensive safety manual — a blueprint of essential process steps and required actions that will help employees mitigate potential workplace hazards. We also provide them with multiple safety training opportunities; our future goal to have all employees possess up to OSHA 30 certification.
Safety Training Programs
Boom Lift and Scissor Lift Training • Confined Space Entry • Daily Job Safety Hazard Analyses • Fall Protection • Ladder Safety
Lock Out / Tag Out • New Field Employee Safety Orientation • OSHA 10 • OSHA 30 • Respirators
Client Commitment: We Can’t Help Ourselves
We love what we do, but more importantly, whom we do it for — our clients. Our team understands that superior customer service is more than a business model. It is a passion ingrained in everything we do, whether we’re responding to a simple service call or designing the mechanical system for an industrial warehouse. It is an integral part of our company’s value system and is no more evident than in our continued dedication to our employees, our owners, and our customers.
Steele’s Mechanical
1710 Charlotte Highway
Lancaster, SC 29721
P.O. Box 1107
Lancaster, SC 29720
803.285.8431
