EVP of M-D Building Products Retires After 48 Years in Industry
Joe Comitale, the executive vice president of M-D Building Products will be retiring as of December 31, 2025.
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| Joe Comitale |
Trained in mechanical engineering, Comitale began his industry career in 1977 in Mississauga, ON, Canada at Drummond Metal Products, a Benson Group company.
He was a part-time machine operator as well as a shipper/receiver, all while working his way through school.
By 1982, he was working full-time for the Benson family and promoted to assistant plant manager at Drummond Metal Products.
Shortly thereafter, he moved to Bengard Manufacturing, another Benson Group company, known for their aluminum extrusion fabrication, finishing and packaging expertise, and was promoted to plant manager in 1985.
He spent most of his early years at Bengard revamping the machines and changing the business model to focus on flooring trims as the core business.
In 1991, he became the vice president of sales and by the age of 34, he was named president of Bengard Manufacturing by his mentor, Bill Benson Sr.
“My affinity for tinkering with bikes, motorcycles, cars and just about any type of machine, as well as my education in mechanical engineering, served me well in my career,” he said. “Especially in the early years when the rudimentary equipment we had needed to be upgraded, and the processes streamlined.”
Work done to eliminate non-value-added labor and the switch to a JIT production system allowed Bengard Manufacturing to compete with much bigger companies and win market share.
Comitale’s quick advancement and leadership earned him a nomination to YPO, Young President’s Organization where he later graduated to WPO, World President’s Organization.
Through the years, has been an active member of numerous industry associations.
“During my time at Bengard, we grew the company both organically and through acquisition,” Comitale said. “We expanded the product line to include vinyl, wood and MDF moldings as well as the aluminum trims we were best known for.”
Bengard Manufacturing was combined with the Flooring portion of Drummond Metal Products in 1999 and the combined entity was sold to The Loxcreen Company in Columbia SC in 2000.
During his time at Loxscreen, Comitale dove into product development which led to the PROVA tile installation products, a complete line of tile underlayment, shower waterproofing and building accessories that are amongst the most advanced in the industry.
“I eventually became the COO for The Loxcreen Company’s entire business in both Canada and the U.S,” he said.
In 2012, M-D Building Products acquired The Loxcreen Company where he has been ever since as executive vice president.
“The dedication, time, and consistency Joe has invested over decades has resulted in thousands of employees and their families enjoying wonderful lives - all because of his hard work” said Ryan Plotkin, president and CEO, M-D Building Products. “He has mentored many people over the years and created pathways for their professional growth and development that they may not have had without his investment in them. The strong relationships that he has fostered with all stakeholders have transitioned to the current leadership team and create a springboard for the company to continue forward successfully in the market for decades to come.”
Comitale will continue to offer his expertise to M-D Building Products on an as-needed, consulting basis and will help his successors transition into their leadership roles.
This transition plan is set to ensure the business continues to move forward while maintaining the tenets of the M-D PRO Flooring Business and M-D Canada Consumer Business philosophy of “Customer Delight” intact.
In addition, he also plans to carry on utilizing his expertise in business strategy and consulting services as the founder of the newly incorporated, Dark Horse Business Strategies Inc.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with small businesses and plan to find some fledgling companies to work with to pass on some of my experience to help them scale,” Comitale said.
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