Photo By Tom Tracy
For Dean Tansman, business has always been a part of life. While some kids spent their summers at camp, he spent his tagging along on sales calls and factory visits with his father, Avi, who founded the wet wipe company Unico I.T.C. 34 years ago.
“It was a unique upbringing,” says Tansman. “Business was always present.”
Now 29 and serving as the company’s vice president, Tansman leads operations and marketing from Unico’s global headquarters in Boca Raton. The U.S.-based entity has two manufacturing plants in Israel and a distribution center in New Jersey.
A dual citizen of Israel and the United States, Tansman was born in Boca Raton and attended what is now Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida. At 19, he volunteered with the Israeli Air Force, serving in a role which included operating PATRIOT missiles. “It taught me a lot about life and a lot about myself,” he says.
Returning stateside in 2020, he joined his father’s company. Unico produces its own Dutch Harbor Brands and also provides contract manufacturing and private labeling through A World of Wipes.
For Tansman, social responsibility isn’t just a business strategy — it’s a personal philosophy. Unico innovates to develop sustainable products that stay competitive while meeting consumer demand.
“It’s important to be attuned to the market, to find synergy between our capabilities, what we believe in and what the market is asking for. It’s a recipe for success.”
Through a partnership with Greater Good Charities, Unico distributes wet wipes to those in need. Since 2022, it has donated more than $3.2 million in products to over 30 organizations, including community centers, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and humane societies.
“We are privileged to be in a position to help people quickly,” he says.
Outside of work, Tansman spends time with his wife, Eliana, who is on the company’s marketing team. He is also pursuing a psychology degree at the University of Florida.
By creating high-quality products and giving back to the community, “it almost blesses your business,” Tansman says.
“When your motivations don’t rely just on money and profits, when you have other things driving you like the desire to keep your employees employed, you have so much more momentum and so much more strength in what you do. It guides your decisions.”