Australia’s top US diplomat visits Daniels Health in Chicago

Daniels Health marked its 40th year by hosting Australia’s ambassador to the United States at its Chicago headquarters on July 22, 2026. The visit highlighted the company’s US expansion, its reusable Sharpsmart system and the role of Australian investment in the Midwest.

Why it matters: - Daniels Health used the ambassador visit to spotlight four decades of growth from an Australian startup into a major US healthcare waste provider. - The company’s reusable sharps system is positioned as both a worker-safety tool and an environmental alternative to single-use waste products. - The visit also reflected broader Australian business activity in the Midwest and deeper commercial ties between Australia and the United States.

What happened: - The Honourable Greg Moriarty, Australia’s Ambassador to the United States, visited Daniels Health’s US headquarters in Chicago on July 22, 2026. - The Australian Consulate in Chicago helped arrange the visit. - Company leadership gave the ambassador a briefing and a demonstration of Sharpsmart, Daniels Health’s proprietary reusable sharps waste containment system. - Daniels Health was founded in Australia in 1986 by CEO Dan Daniels, who started the business in Melbourne.

The details: - Daniels Health entered the US market in 2000. - The company now operates in 45 states. - Daniels Health runs 34 operational sites across the US and has a national support office in Chicago. - The company says it is the second-largest healthcare waste service company in the United States. - Daniels Health conducts 452,856 services annually. - The company serves 6,360 active customers across 21,910 service locations in the US. - Daniels Health employs about 1,668 people in the US. - The US workforce has grown by about 40 people per month over the past year. - Dan Daniels said the company started with a mission that no healthcare worker should go home with a needlestick injury. - Ambassador Moriarty called Daniels Health an Australian business success story in the United States and said the company shows the depth of the business relationship between the two countries. - In 2025, Sharpsmart helped prevent an estimated 4,450 sharps injuries among healthcare workers.

Between the lines: - The Chicago visit gave Daniels Health a public milestone moment as it pairs a 40-year anniversary with an expanding US footprint. - The company’s emphasis on reusable systems fits a broader push in healthcare toward safety, waste reduction and operational efficiency. - The hiring pace and planned facility expansion suggest Daniels Health is still in growth mode, not just celebrating past gains.

What's next: - Daniels Health plans to open additional US facilities before the end of 2026. - The company expects those sites to add jobs and treatment capacity to its national network. - Daniels Health says it will keep pursuing growth wherever healthcare workers need its services.

The bottom line: - Daniels Health is using its 40th anniversary to underscore a simple message: the company has turned an Australian safety mission into a scaled US healthcare waste business.