As an undergraduate studying hospitality, business and history at the University of Delaware in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Adam Vitale, BE01, naturally learned about the historical figures in the hospitality world, like Conrad Hilton and the Marriott family.

“One of my history professors talked to us about learning from the past and not making the same mistakes in the future,” Vitale said. “I was able to learn from the past as I was shaping my own career, as well as learn lessons about resiliency, understanding and being able to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.”

And the past continues to shape Vitale’s future. As president of G&M Distributors, a beverage distribution business in Galesburg, Illinois, Vitale occupies a role previously filled by his grandfather and father. The company recently marked its 75th anniversary and has long celebrated family.

“It's great to be part of a family business – but to me that also means thinking about all the families the business has touched along the way, from those first three employees to the 120 families who are part of our organization today,” Vitale said.

In 1946, Vitale’s grandfather, G. Louis Vitale, founded the company and named it after his children: Guy, Margot, Mike and Marcia. Today, G&M serves a 24-county region in western and northern Illinois, working with more than 60 suppliers in the beverage industry, including Anheuser-Busch and the E. & J. Gallo Winery.

As third-generation president of G&M, Vitale comes to the role with his own experiences. Initially, he embarked on a career in hospitality and tourism. But, as much as he loved serving others, he realized he wanted to be in a career that allowed him to settle in a community. He recalled asking, “How can I take the skills I learned at UD and still stay within the industry?” Thanks to hands-on learning opportunities, he said he was able to quickly change directions to explore distribution, management and marketing.

The family business called him home in 2008, and he and his father created a five-year plan mapping out how he would, eventually, take the lead. Then, the five-year transition turned into less than two years when Vitale’s father, Guy, was diagnosed with stage-four cancer.

“I remember one of the last conversations I had with my dad, I was really nervous, and I said, ‘You know I'm going to make a ton of mistakes and you're not going to be here to help,’” Vitale recalled. “And he said, ‘You'll learn from them, you'll be fine. I made tons of mistakes, everyone does, and you just got to move forward and make the best of it.’”

When his father died in 2010, Vitale raised a bottle of Budweiser to him – literally – during the eulogy, saying, “This Bud’s for you, Dad.” The bottle from the day now remains under a glass dome in his office as a keepsake.

Vitale credits the teams and culture of G&M Distributors with helping him through the emotional and challenging transition. Such skilled teamwork has continued to benefit the business, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. When bars and restaurants abruptly shut down in March 2020, disrupting roughly 25 percent of operations, G&M Distributors worked to ensure customers stocking up on everything from bottled water to wine could find what they needed through retail means.

Leading the business today, Vitale often thinks of his father and grandfather when making a tough decision. While his grandfather emphasized building a strong foundation for the company, his father’s legacy, Vitale said, is the emphasis he placed on philanthropy and investing in the local community. G&M Distributors included local communities in its anniversary celebrations this past year, organizing a country music concert and bringing the Budweiser Clydesdales to town, as well as continuing regular efforts, like a coat drive for school students.

“My grandfather grounded the company in a culture that took care of its teams, and that has driven our success,” Vitale said. “Then my father built upon that through his reputation as a community servant. As we continue to look ahead, we know we can't be successful without the success of the communities we serve.”