Ecolab officials confirmed Thursday that executive Bob Gildersleeve was among those killed Tuesday in the Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia.
Ecolab vice president Bob Gildersleeve killed in Amtrak crash
The St. Paul-based company confirmed that Gildersleeve was among the eight dead in the Philadelphia derailment.
May 14, 2015 at 11:59PM
Gildersleeve worked at Ecolab for 22 years, most recently as vice president of corporate accounts for the company's institutional business in North America. He was traveling on business when the train wreck occurred, and had been listed as missing since the accident. His family had been working furiously to find the father of two.
Worry spiked high when Gildersleeve's cellphone was found on the tracks, Bob's father told TV news reporters in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Ecolab spokesman Roman Blahoski said Gildersleeve lived in a Baltimore suburb, but traveled so frequently to Ecolab's headquarters in St. Paul, that he had an office there as well. "He was well liked and well known throughout the company. He was definitely a person who had high energy and great passion for his work and a great passion for life," he said.
Ecolab CEO Doug Baker said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague. … Bob was an exceptional leader and was instrumental to our success. We will greatly miss him."
Dee DePass
While the state posted overall job growth for the third consecutive month, the Department of Employment and Economic Development plans to host in-person and virtual factory tours to spark interest in the industry during October’s Manufacturing Month.
