ZABEL COMPANIES - Key Persons
Background: Bill spent most of his time growing up on a farm just outside of Roanoke, VA. Having married a woman from Charlotte, NC, he has finally come to terms with living in a city and calling Charlotte home. Bill spent his weekends over the last fifteen years shuttling his four kids to various sporting events. He is now an empty-nester and is adept at finding ways to get out of the city to spend time in the woods or on the water. Bill is an avid hunter and fisherman and also enjoys reading and hiking.
Work experience: Bill has been investing in lower middle market companies since 1999. Having been raised by a father that was running a family business, Bill enjoys the unique opportunities and genuine people often found in the lower middle market. His prior experience includes international corporate finance work and operating an environmental services company.
Industry experience: Waste services, specialty chemicals, replacement parts, financial services, optical components, analytical instrumentation, food, health care services, retail services, cutting tools, heavy truck, car wash supplies, telecommunications, specialty building products.
Education: Bill graduated from Wake Forest University devoid of any academic honors of consequence. He earned his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Board involvement: Bill has served on numerous boards of private companies and community organizations. He currently serves on the boards of Bedford Precision Parts, LLC and FIE Holdings, LLC.
Community involvement: The entire Zabel team is committed to investing time and capital in the communities in which they live and invest. Bill is involved with a variety of community organizations and invests in a significant amount of time as a mentor. He is an active member of his church where he has focused on stewardship and development.
Background: Brian was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, where he learned the value of patience as a Bengals fan and developed an obsession with Skyline chili. He now lives in Charlotte with his wife, Alison, daughter, Maddie, and son, Cooper. Brian and his wife are avid travelers.
Work experience: Brian worked with Bill and Rich at a prior firm. He joined Zabel from EnPro Industries (NYSE:NPO), a diversified manufacturing company where he led corporate development for two divisions and later had P&L responsibility for several product lines within Garlock Sealing Technologies (a division of EnPro). Brian began his career with a middle market investment bank.
Industry experience: Manufacturing, engineered products, power transmission and rotating equipment, aerospace, hygienic components, consumer products, building products, healthcare services, heavy-duty trucking parts, financial services.
Education: Brian graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce.
Board involvement: Brian currently serves on the boards of Bedford Precision Parts, LLC, Centennial Woods Holdings, LLC, MPI Holdings, LLC, and FIE Holdings, LLC.
Community involvement: Brian is active in youth mentoring and First Tee Charlotte.
Background: Brian grew up in a small mountain town in California where he developed his love of the outdoors-golfing, hiking, fishing and water skiing in the summer and snowboarding and skiing in the winter. After nearly a decade in the Great Lakes region, he saw the light and moved south to Charlotte where he can once again spend more time outside. Brian and his wife have two young daughters who they enjoy shuttling to ballet, sports & other activities and taking on family trips.
Work experience: Brian joined Zabel from CapitalWorks, a Cleveland-based private equity firm. Prior to CapitalWorks, Brian worked for Worthington Industries (NYSE:WOR), a diversified manufacturing business, where he worked on mergers & acquisitions and with an internal consulting group on a variety of commercial, supply chain and operational improvement initiatives.
Industry experience: Household products distribution, home appliance repair parts, flow control products, hazardous and non-hazardous waste, electronic components, hand tools, test equipment, steel processing, pressure cylinders, alternative fuels.
Education: Brian graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelors and masters in accounting. He earned his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Board involvement: Brian currently serves on the board of Stan's Holdings, LLC.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President
- Controller
Background: Lisa grew up in a US Airforce family before her father retired in Austin, TX. She lived in Austin for 20 years before moving to Charlotte, NC, which she now calls home. She and her husband Ken enjoy spending time outdoors and traveling, especially out west, where they like to ski, hike, fly fish, and watch wildlife. They also frequent the beautiful Carolina beaches.
Work experience: Prior to joining Zabel, Lisa was the AVP of Accounting/Controller of Aramark Healthcare Technologies which provided clinical technology services for biomedical and diagnostic imaging equipment in hospitals and healthcare facilities. She has held several Corporate Controller and Director of Finance positions with companies in various industries. Lisa began her career in public accounting with KPMG.
Industry experience: Technology services, government and defense contracting, industrial yarn manufacturing, marketing and advertising, wholesale distribution, consulting and training services, computer software.
Education: Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She holds an active CPA license from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.
Community involvement: Lisa is an active member in her local church and has spent time volunteering with Joy Prom, Samaritan's Feet, and Rise Against Hunger.
Background: MaryAnn grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where she developed a great love for family, football and warmer weather. After spending a decade in the Pacific Northwest, she followed family to the sunny, blue skies of Charlotte, North Carolina. MaryAnn and her husband have three girls and two grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, playing golf, and cheering for the Carolina Panthers and USC Gamecocks. Work experience: Prior to joining Zabel, MaryAnn enjoyed supporting executives at Bowles Hollowell Conner, First Union, Wachovia Securities, and most recently the president of a local engineering firm. Industry experience: Human Resources, Recruiting, Event Planning. Education: MaryAnn graduated from Lancaster Bible College with a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education with concentrations in Elementary Education. Community involvement: MaryAnn is an active member in her local church and volunteers with the March Forth With Hope Foundation.
Background: Born and raised in the Philippines, Paolo is a nomad who has lived in three different places before calling Charlotte home - alpine Japan, countryside Virginia, and bustling Raleigh. Through those experiences, Paolo cultivated a love for the outdoors and learning about different ways of life. In his free time, Paolo enjoys playing basketball and soccer, traveling, cooking, and hiking.
Work experience: Prior to joining Zabel, Paolo was an Analyst at SharpVue Capital, a private investment firm and Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) providing capital to lower middle market companies. Paolo began his career at SharpVue, where he participated in the investment of $100 million of debt and equity capital across multiple industries.
Industry experience: Business services, environmental services, food and beverage, healthcare, software, specialty manufacturing, and value-added distribution
Education: Paolo graduated from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and minor in Japanese.
Background: As a result of growing up in five different states, Rich has an unfortunate accent and cheers for far too many sports teams. He now gladly calls Charlotte his home with his wife, four kids, and a growing number of pets. Rich enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and live music when he's not chasing after his kids.
Work experience: Rich has been working with Bill and partnering with lower middle market companies for the last sixteen years. Rich's prior experience includes advisory work with both a middle market investment bank and a global corporate finance and brand valuation consulting firm.
Industry experience: Waste services, healthcare revenue cycle management, automotive dealer services, health insurance, specialty chemical, heavy-duty truck component manufacturing, payment processing services, building products, database management, value-added distribution.
Education: Rich graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce with concentrations in Finance and Management.
Board involvement: Rich currently serves on the boards of Centennial Woods Holdings, LLC, MPI Holdings, LLC, Stan's Holdings, LLC, M&A Source, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Carolinas, and has previously served on the board of five other privately held businesses.
Community involvement: In addition to serving on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rich is active in habitat for humanity.
Background: Tanner was born in Richmond, VA and moved to Charlotte at a young age, where he has called home since. Whether it was weekend fishing trips to the coast or hikes in the mountains, growing up in North Carolina developed his love for the outdoors. He and his wife, Sydney, have a young daughter and are also avid UNC fans.
Work experience: Prior to joining Zabel, Tanner was an Associate at Fidus Capital, a Business Development Company ("BDC") providing capital to lower middle market companies. Tanner began his career at Fidus, where he was involved in the investment of $150M+ of principal debt and equity capital across various industries.
Industry experience: Building products, manufacturing, business services, value-added distribution, and healthcare services.
Education: Tanner graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and minors in Entrepreneurship and History.