S2E2 - Lee Wilcox - On The Tools origin story & The Lost City

In this powerful episode of the Rothenberger Pipe Up Podcast, we sit down with Lee Wilcox, founder and CEO of On The Tools — the UK’s largest online construction community — to hear the remarkable story behind the brand that changed the way the trades connect, laugh, and speak up.Lee takes us back to the early days of On The Tools, sharing how a simple idea grew into a media powerhouse representing hundreds of thousands of tradespeople. He opens up about the highs, the challenges, and the responsibility that comes with leading a platform that gives the trade community its voice.But this episode goes deeper than business.We also discuss The Lost City, the powerful mental health initiative highlighting a devastating reality: the suicide rate in the trades which is FOUR times the national average. So many skilled workers have taken their own lives that, collectively, an entire city could have been built by the tradespeople we’ve lost.Lee shares why The Lost City matters, what needs to change, and how the industry can break the stigma around mental health — especially among men in construction.This is an honest, hard-hitting, and inspiring conversation about community, purpose, leadership, and saving lives.🎙️ Tune in for one of our most important conversations yet.