Vermeer Southeast (VSE), a 100 percent employee-owned company (ESOP), announced the promotion of Scott Coley to CEO, succeeding Kris Den Besten, who will continue to serve as chairman of the company’s board of directors.

While Den Besten helped lead VSE with a steady vision resulting in many years of consistent growth, Coley grew through leadership roles in the organization and was named president in 2019, responsible for day-to-day management decisions and strategies. He has more than 22 years with VSE and 30 years in the construction equipment industry.

“Scott is an outstanding leader who has exceeded expectations in every role for over 20 years. He is ready and well equipped to take Vermeer Southeast to new levels while maintaining the Biblical foundation and caring culture the company was founded on,” said Den Besten.

“He is a great team builder who understands our needs and has the vision to make us shine in all areas of serving our customers and each other.”

Coley’s unwavering commitment to VSE and the culture that not only helped build it but has grown stronger over the years is evident.

“To me, the key to VSE’s over 54 years of success is two-fold. First, it is and always will be about our hardworking, dedicated employees who truly desire to partner in the success of our customers. Second is our leadership’s commitment to honor God in how the organization operates. It is exciting to be a part of our company’s rapid growth and to see employees connecting their impact to results as an ESOP,” said Coley.

“I am honored for this opportunity to lead VSE into the future. We will continue to focus on partnering with our customers to ensure mutual success and in developing our employees’ talents while providing a caring culture that inspires employees to give their best.”

Since 1967, Vermeer Southeast has served the southeast with equipment, parts, service and the right productivity solutions for tree care, landscape, wood waste, recycling, pipeline, utility installation and vacuum excavation. The company’s corporate office is in Orlando, with Florida store locations in Boynton Beach, Clearwater, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Pensacola. Georgia locations include Buford, Marietta, and Savannah, and then also in Birmingham, Ala. Vermeer Southeast also serves the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda as Vermeer Islands.