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On June 6th Vanaire was fortunate to be the title sponsor for St. Mary’s Center 2022 Golf Scramble at Woodhaven Country Club.  Vanaire’s leadership, Michael  and Gary Vanegas, are both on the committee at St. Mary’s and are very involved with the Louisville-based organization. This fun-filled day in the sun hosted over 40 teams during a Morning and Afternoon Session, with 5 teams including Vanaire employees, vendors and customers.

St. Mary’s Center is a non-profit founded by Sister Regina Bevelacqua and Mary Jo Payne and serves adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. They provide vocational, independent living, academic, and social skills to program participants, as well as, community outings, leisure activities, and sports programs that empower participants to become more independent members of our community.

If you are interested in supporting this magnificent organization you can donate online.

Incorporated 50 years ago, the Vanaire legacy began in 1972 with our founder Guillermo “Bill” Vanegas. An Immigrant from Bogotá, Columbia, he started this business as part of his American Dream, which he grew from the ground up to eventually open up two facilities, the ThermoPlastics Shop and Fiberglass Shop. Starting this business was not easy. In fact, Bill worked 70 hour work weeks and didn’t take his first vacation from the business for the first 7 years.


His hard work and dedication paid off. In 1992, Bill was recognized as one of the 100 largest Hispanic-owned firms in the U.S. He met with Vice President Al Gore to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement and provide his input on the effects of the industry. Vanaire is a Certified Minority Business and sets an inspiring example for minorities in the U.S.


His devotion and vast knowledge of the plastics industry extends to his two sons, Michael and Gary Vanegas. Michael and Gary took over the business on December 30th, 2013 to continue their father’s legacy and leave their own stamp on the industry. According to Michael Vanegas, “one of the greatest accomplishments for Vanaire is being able to compete on a global scale from a business started and headquartered in Louisville KY.”


Bill’s passion for manufacturing equipment has carried over from his children to now his grandchildren as well, who have started their own careers in the Air Pollution Control Industry and will see the future of this thriving business for the next 50 years and beyond.