The Tranzonic Companies, a respected manufacturer of personal care and protection, contamination control and cleaning products, has named Joe Vitale to the newly created role of chief corporate development officer. Vitale will provide strategic direction and leadership as the business expands through acquisitions, investments and partnerships and will collaborate with executive leadership on company strategy.

M&A is central to the growth strategy of Tranzonic, which has increased sales five-fold in the past decade via acquisitions of diverse companies, including Monarch Brands, Acute Care, Adenna, Chemcor, NILodor, Innocore, High-Tech Conversions and others. Each investment has strengthened Tranzonic’s position as a leader in helping businesses protect, clean and care for shared spaces where people work, stay and gather — businesses across manufacturing, food service, health care, retail, transportation, hospitality and other target industries.

Vitale’s mission is to optimize Tranzonic’s origination, acquisition and integration processes to more efficiently identify and partner with new companies to achieve greater growth. He is well-suited to lead the company’s growth efforts, with more than 25 years of professional experience in corporate banking, large and mid-cap industrial, and sponsor-backed portfolio companies.

Vitale most recently led M&A and treasury for Brook + Whittle, before which he spent over a decade with Ferro Corporation, where he helped transform the company through M&A to outperform peer group public companies. He has successfully completed acquisition, partnership and carveout transactions in the U.S. and across the world, and his collaborative approach allows for efficient transactions that minimize disruption to the business and preserve value for all stakeholders.

“Joe’s values and the engaged culture he creates are well-aligned with Tranzonic and what we plan to achieve as we grow,” said Tom Friedl, CEO of The Tranzonic Companies. “We already have exciting new investments planned for 2024, and Joe’s energy and focus will further our goals as we look to the next decade and beyond.”

Vitale earned his MBA degree in finance from UCLA Anderson and his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.