Don Vitale

Scariot and fellow owners John Kelly and Don Vitale formed the senior management group for DESA, a locally based heater manufacturer.
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"I cannot comment on anything related to DESA, but let's just sit back and see how this partnership works out," Vitale said.

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Being an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) company "enables you to avoid the payment of federal income taxes and means that you are a more competitive buyer in the marketplace," Vitale said.

The ESOP principle allows Houchens employees to share in the benefits accorded by Houchens' growth at their retirement.This makes an attractive financial benefit, allowing more qualified and experienced personnel to be hired at all companies purchased by Houchens and Remington, he said.

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Don Vitale, who helped found DESA in 1985, said he hopes the company will flourish under the new ownership.Vitale helped form Remington Capital with other former senior management members of DESA and Houchens Industries as a financial partner in hopes of ensuring that DESA would continue its strong presence in Bowling Green.

Vitale says he wishes the new owners success and hopes they will "choose to further expand their facility and employment in the local region as we would have done had we been successful."

Remington Capital will remain active in the search to purchase troubled manufacturers, turn them around and hopefully keep – or add – them to the local economy, he said.

"We have an active search to acquire businesses with the expectation that they will be an addition to the local business community," said Vitale, while acknowledging that Remington also will not shun companies that have potential in other communities.

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Don Vitale was born in St. Louis on May 12, 1938, to Vincent and Lena Vitale, the eldest of their ten children.
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Don, himself, worked hard at various jobs that included parking cars, summer jobs at Continental Can and part time work at grocery stores.

Finally, he received not only a Bachelor's but a Master's Degree in Business Administration from St. Louis University.He began work in the banking field, moved to a position at Monsanto, and then worked for the 3M Corporation in Minnesota.He worked in the Philippines and Brazil before he became co-owner of Desa, a company located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that manufactured gas-operated products such as space heaters, artificial logs, and power tools.In 1996, he established the Manchester Capital Investment Company in Bowling Green, where he is Chairman and President.

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Don and Suzanne have three children who have all graduated from (where else) St. Louis University.They also have five grandchildren and another on the way.

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