FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vaportek Unveils Four-Generation Family Legacy Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary
Wisconsin company’s 110-year entrepreneurial journey spans four generations and five brands—from Will Ross to Vaportek and Tranquil Tails.
SUSSEX, Wis. — As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Wisconsin-based Vaportek is publicly sharing—for the first time—the remarkable story behind a family legacy that has evolved through more than 110 years of American entrepreneurship, innovation and resilience.
Rather than simply celebrating the company’s history, Vaportek is launching its America 250 Heritage Initiative to preserve the story of a family whose entrepreneurial journey has continually adapted to meet changing customer needs while remaining guided by the same enduring values of integrity, innovation, service and trust.
The story begins in 1914, when William T. Ross transformed his personal battle with tuberculosis into an opportunity to serve others. While recovering in a Wisconsin sanitorium, Ross recognized unmet needs among patients, healthcare providers and caregivers. Determined to improve their quality of life, he founded Will Ross, Inc., a company that grew into one of America’s respected hospital supply organizations.
Ross later chronicled his remarkable journey in his autobiography, I Wanted to Live, documenting how perseverance, optimism and service can transform adversity into opportunity.
In 1928, Ross recruited his brother-in-law, Charles Pain, to help oversee the company’s day-to-day operations during a period of significant growth. Following Ross’s passing in 1951, Pain continued guiding the organization while preserving the customer-first philosophy that had become its hallmark.
The family’s entrepreneurial tradition continued through the next generation when Jack Bryson, Pain’s son-in-law, joined Will Ross, Inc. following his military service. By the mid-1970s, Will Ross had become part of pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle, and many employees were offered opportunities to relocate following the acquisition.
Jack Bryson chose a different path.
Believing in the long-term value of the company’s specialty odor-control technology, he undertook a multi-year effort to purchase that division of the business. His vision became reality in December 1979, when Vaportek, Inc. was incorporated in Wisconsin, preserving decades of scientific expertise while establishing an independent company committed to solving complex environmental challenges.
John Bryson Jr. joined Vaportek following law school in 1986, became Executive Vice President in 1989 and assumed the role of President in 1991. During the following decades, he expanded the business internationally while diversifying beyond healthcare into restoration, hospitality, transportation, industrial, consumer and wellness markets.
Like many American manufacturers, Vaportek faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic as supply chains shifted, long-standing manufacturing relationships changed and market conditions evolved.
Rather than retreat, the company once again reinvented itself.
Building upon generations of scientific expertise and customer relationships, the Bryson family expanded into new categories while remaining committed to solving everyday challenges through thoughtful innovation.
Today, that legacy includes five distinct brands—Vaportek, Mintek, Wilro, LaRoma and Tranquil Tails—each serving different customer needs while remaining connected by a common purpose: improving quality of life through science-based innovation.
Most recently, John and Lisa Bryson introduced Tranquil Tails, extending the family’s long tradition of innovation into the growing pet wellness market with products designed to help reduce stress and anxiety in dogs and cats through non-invasive calming technologies.
“Although our products have changed dramatically over the years, our mission has remained remarkably consistent,” Bryson said. “We’ve always believed innovation begins by listening carefully, understanding what people—and now their pets—need, and developing solutions that genuinely improve everyday life.”
Today, another chapter of that family story is beginning through the involvement of Megan Bryson, supporting the next generation’s involvement in the business and helping carry forward a legacy that now spans more than a century.
“I take great inspiration from Will, Charlie and Dad,” Bryson said. “This business was founded upon some amazing people that I am fortunate to call my family. My responsibility is simply to carry those values forward.”
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the Bryson family believes the greatest legacy is not simply preserving history, but continuing to build upon it.
For Vaportek, that journey has never been defined by a single product or a single generation.
It has been defined by a willingness to solve meaningful problems, earn lasting customer trust and continually reinvent itself while remaining true to the values established more than a century ago.
About Vaportek
Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Sussex, Wisconsin, Vaportek develops specialty odor-control, environmental wellness and consumer products serving healthcare, restoration, hospitality, transportation, industrial, residential and pet wellness markets. Today, the privately held company’s family of brands includes Vaportek, Mintek, Wilro, LaRoma and Tranquil Tails, continuing a legacy of innovation whose roots trace back to Will Ross, Inc., founded in 1914.
About Tranquil Tails
Tranquil Tails is a pet wellness brand dedicated to easing anxiety and promoting calm in the lives of cats and dogs. Our mission is to deliver safe, effective, and nature-identical solutions that support the emotional well-being of pets at every age. Rooted in pheromone research, our products are thoughtfully formulated with high-quality ingredients—free from petroleum-based carriers —giving pet parents peace of mind. Every Tranquil Tails product is developed with compassion, transparency, and a deep respect for the bond between pets and their families. Proudly based in the U.S., we are committed to supporting pet households and giving back to the broader animal-loving community. Learn more at www.tranquiltails.us
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