We design, build, and finance projects that turn complexity into speed and lasting value.

Vanguard Industrial Partners (VIP) brings together design-build expertise and capital strategy to deliver high-performance industrial projects across the Southeast.
Vanguard Industrial Partners was built to close the gap between capital, construction, and community.

Our team’s deep experience in design-build and industrial finance enables projects that accelerate growth, reduce risk, and strengthen local economies.
Mission
To simplify industrial development through data, design, and capital alignment—helping partners move from concept to completion with clarity and confidence.
Vision
To redefine how industrial projects are financed and delivered, building a smarter, more resilient manufacturing and logistics infrastructure across the Southeast and beyond.
Values
Integrity, clarity, and measurable impact guide everything we do. We believe collaboration and intelligence turn complexity into opportunity—creating results that endure.

We provide a comprehensive elevate on an Innovative with Purpose

40+ years building across the Southeast
Active in key industrial corridors across Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky—serving manufacturers, logistics operators, and data center users. Our team’s regional depth and relationships drive faster site readiness, permitting, and partnership alignment.
90M+ sq. ft. delivered nationally
Our leadership has developed and constructed projects at scale—from 379 Walmart stores and 12,000 multifamily units to regional logistics and data infrastructure. This experience informs every VIP project, ensuring cost discipline, design efficiency, and execution certainty.
Decades of lending and structuring expertise
Led by veterans in commercial banking and credit, VIP integrates financing strategy into every stage of design-build. We align operators, lenders, and investors to convert capital-intensive projects into predictable operating costs and stable long-term returns.
Building trust, one project at a time
Our success is measured by repeat partnerships and community value. VIP delivers projects that strengthen local economies, reduce risk for owners, and create lasting impact for the regions we serve.

We bring clarity, speed, and integrity to every project.

Our approach is built on experience and alignment—clear communication, disciplined execution, and lasting relationships. We believe that industrial development works best when every partner—from operator to investor—moves with shared purpose and trust.
Clarity First
Every project begins with transparency and alignment. Clarity of cost, scope, and outcome is the foundation for speed, trust, and long-term value.
Collaboration Creates Certainty
We partner closely with clients, contractors, and capital sources from day one. Staying aligned helps remove friction, reduce surprises, and deliver projects with precision.
Integrity in Every Decision
Our word is our bond. We build confidence through honest communication, disciplined execution, and solutions that balance performance with responsibility.
Curiosity Drives Progress
We never stop asking how things can be built better. From design efficiency to financing strategy, curiosity keeps us innovative, pragmatic, and one step ahead.
Impact That Endures
We measure success by lasting results. Each project strengthens communities, supports industry, and stands the test of time. Every decision serves that mission.

We turn insight into execution.

Strategic Insight
Every successful project begins with clarity. We analyze market forces, incentive programs, and capital flows to identify opportunities others miss. This intelligence shapes projects that are financially sound and regionally relevant.
Design-Build Precision
Execution defines us. From site selection through completion, we manage each phase with the rigor of a builder and the foresight of a developer. Our streamlined model reduces risk, compresses timelines, and delivers with consistency.
Capital Alignment
We structure projects that work for every stakeholder—operator, investor, and lender. By converting capital-intensive builds into predictable operating costs, we unlock growth while maintaining balance-sheet flexibility.
Community Impact
Every facility we build strengthens local economies and workforce ecosystems. We partner with municipalities and industry to ensure each project contributes lasting value beyond the property line.

Showcasing story behind the Data and reflect on Beyond the desk process.

Executive Team

Get to know the thinkers, builders, and collaborators behind our mission to power smarter decisions.

Michael Shannon
Executive Chairman & Managing Partner

Mike is a veteran developer with more than 40 years of experience shaping large-scale retail, multifamily, and commercial projects. As co-founder of Shannon, Strobel & Weaver Constructors and Engineers, he not only delivered almost 400 Walmart stores and developed more than 12,000 multifamily units, but also helped guide site selection, planning, and long-term growth strategies that positioned projects for success. His firm became one of only five companies nationwide to earn designation as a preferred Walmart contractor, reflecting both executional excellence and development insight at scale.

Over the course of his career, Mike has built a reputation as a developer who can take projects from raw land through completion—navigating sitework, entitlements, financing, and delivery. He understands how to structure projects so that they work for owners, municipalities, and end users alike, ensuring long-term value beyond construction.At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Mike leads development and delivery, applying his decades of experience to guide projects from vision through execution. His ability to blend strategic foresight with practical building expertise strengthens VIP’s mission of making industrial projects simple, investable, and community-building.
David G. DeBaets
President & CEO

David is a global operations executive and industrial developer with more than 35 years of experience in manufacturing, supply chain, and plant start-ups across consumer products, automotive, and biopharma. He spent over three decades at Briggs & Stratton, where he managed worldwide operations exceeding $1.2 billion in revenue and oversaw the launch of multiple U.S. plants, including major Auburn facilities. Later, he scaled production at SiO₂ Material Science in support of Operation Warp Speed, leading rapid expansion of medical container manufacturing during the pandemic.

For over 20 years, David has also served the City of Auburn through its Industrial Development Board, now as Chairman, where he has played a key role in aligning industrial growth with community development. His work bridges corporate execution with municipal vision, creating environments where industry, workforce, and local government thrive together.At Vanguard Industrial Partners, David leads industrial development strategy, public partnerships, and operational execution. His ability to connect the dots between global-scale operations and local economic development ensures that VIP projects are not only delivered efficiently, but also create lasting value for communities and investors.
Donald Cioban
CFO

Donald is a banking and credit executive with more than four decades in commercial lending, risk management, and institution leadership. He has held senior roles across community and regional banks, including President & CEO of Capital Bank, where he recruited the board, raised capital through multiple offerings, and grew the bank to $25 million in assets within 16 months. At Amerifirst, he served as Senior Lender and Chief Credit Officer, leading teams across three offices and approving major credits; earlier, with the RTC/FDIC, he acted as CEO for institutions in conservatorship, negotiating complex settlements and steering turnaround operations. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Commercial Lender at Trustmark Bank in Montgomery.

Known for disciplined underwriting and practical structuring, Don has originated, evaluated, and approved a broad spectrum of commercial and real estate credits, balancing growth objectives with clear credit policy. His career track record spans cycles, sectors, and markets, with a consistent focus on loan quality, portfolio performance, and transparent decision making.At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Don leads capital markets and financial structuring. He aligns operators, lenders, and sale-leaseback investors to convert capital-intensive builds into predictable operating expenses and stable cash flows, supporting VIP’s lean design-build + lease-back model and delivering investor-grade clarity on risk, schedule, and returns.
Daniel Sexton
CTO

Daniel brings more than 20 years of experience across enterprise software, family-office investing, and product development. His background spans SaaS, consumer products, real estate, and emerging technology, where he has built ventures, structured capital, and advised operators and investors on scaling strategies.

Known for combining technical depth with capital insight, Daniel applies AI and modern software practices to evaluate opportunities, reduce risk, and package projects in a way that bridges concept, story, and numbers. His work turns complex requirements into clear data models, pro formas, and risk frameworks that support faster decision-making and transparent execution.At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Daniel leads technology strategy, data analytics, and digital infrastructure. He develops the internal tools that power site selection, incentive modeling, and financial packaging, ensuring each project is presented as a simple, investable opportunity that aligns capital, operators, and communities.
Travis Wisdom
Legal Partner & Executive Counsel

Travis Wisdom is a legal and development executive with deep experience at the intersection of data infrastructure, real estate, and public–private partnerships. As a Co-Founder of AUBix, he helped launch and scale a regional data-center platform, coordinating site readiness, utility and fiber access, and long-term tenant needs while navigating regulatory, contractual, and incentive frameworks. He also leads The Wisdom Firm, where for more than a decade he has advised operators, municipalities, and investors on transactions that balance speed, compliance, and durable economics.

Known for pragmatic deal-making and clear, plain-English risk framing, Travis brings a rare combination of legal rigor and developer instincts. His track record spans entity formation, ground leases and easements, vendor and MSA negotiation, incentives and abatements, and coordination with utilities and local governments—especially in projects where power, permitting, and timelines are critical-path items.At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Travis leads legal strategy and public-partner alignment for industrial and data-infrastructure projects. He structures clean, bankable agreements; secures entitlements and incentives; and ensures VIP’s design-build + lease-back model moves from term sheet to handover with clarity on rights, obligations, and schedule—creating confidence for operators, communities, and capital partners alike.

We deliver intelligent design-build and capital solutions for forward-thinking operators and developers. From data-driven site modeling to turnkey execution, VIP transforms vision into lasting value.