Founder Bio

Denis Gagnon is the president of Excel Dryer, Inc. and inventor of the XLERATOR^®.

After completing his MBA at Western New England College in 1976, Gagnon gained experience in manufacturing and marketing during his tenure with Milton Bradley and toy giant Hasbro, Inc., serving as Vice President-International. He also served as executive vice president of Bassett Boat Company before deciding to apply his business knowledge to his own corporation. He acquired Excel Dryer, Inc. in 1997 - and quickly realized that, in order to develop the business further, he'd have to change the way the public perceived hand dryers.

The hand dryers available at that time were frustrating for restroom patrons to use because they took 30-45 seconds or more to dry hands, leaving users with the urge to wipe their hands on their pants. Given a choice, they would grab a paper towel instead. The product needed a complete redesign to make it more powerful yet remain energy efficient. With the help of scientists at Invent Resources in Lexington, MA, Gagnon developed the XLERATOR hand dryer, the first hand dryer to do its job in 10 to 15 seconds - three times faster than conventional machines - while using 80% less energy. XLERATOR was introduced to the market in 2001 and went on to become the New Industry Standard for hand dryers.

Gagnon is presently a member of the Green Hotels Association, the Green Restaurant Association and Construction Specification Institute. His product has earned widespread awards and endorsements from environmental organizations, publications and events. He works closely with his wife, Nancy, Excel Dryer's vice president, and his son, Bill, the company's director of marketing. Gagnon can be contacted via e-mail at: dgagnon@exceldryer.com.