For Nate Spang, nothing beats connecting with the people who directly touch Vantedge Medical’s products and add value to the company and its customers’ experience.
“The energy and passion from walking one of our production floors, talking to our team members, seeing and hearing their engagement with the work we do, and understanding the quality and efficiency improvements the teams are driving is always my starting point,” he said. “It drives the passion I have for what I do and, more importantly, how I support them and the mission of the company.”
Spang was recruited to Vantedge Medical, a leader in precision manufacturing for the medical industry, to spearhead three key pillars of transformation: driving inorganic growth, streamlining financial operations, and leveraging his cross-functional expertise to support the company’s evolution under private equity ownership. As a result, he helped lead the company’s transformation into a $325 million revenue company with robust EBITDA performance, leveraging his expertise in finance, operations and organizational strategy.
Spang has led Vantedge Medical through two significant acquisitions, diversifying its capabilities and customer base while enhancing its offerings in sheet metal, CNC precision manufacturing and robotics. Additionally, Spang unified six formerly independent businesses into a cohesive enterprise, ensuring operational efficiencies without stifling the entrepreneurial spirit that defined their success.
Under Spang’s leadership, Vantedge Medical implemented a centralized approach to automation, supply chain and quality management while maintaining localized agility. His vision for standardization resulted in the successful implementation of critical systems, including ERP platforms and a middleware IT design, enabling faster decision-making and improved data visibility. These efforts culminated in the closure of a continuation vehicle process in 2023, a pivotal milestone in the company’s growth trajectory.
Spang’s accomplishments include stabilizing Vantedge Medical’s IT infrastructure and successfully defending against a cyberattack in 2024. He was recognized as one of the top 25 chief financial officers in manufacturing in 2023. However, he takes the most pride in modernizing the company’s financial systems, enabling teams to streamline processes and focus on value creation. His implementation of OneStream and Power BI for financial reporting has transformed how Vantedge Medical makes data-driven decisions, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Spang is equally passionate about workforce development. He champions initiatives to retain knowledge from an aging workforce, invest in apprenticeship programs and foster a culture of growth.
“It’s far too easy to get engulfed by what we are working toward and what remains to be done,” he said. “Taking the time to celebrate and formally recognize the progress is important.”