#2 CJ Schmidt

Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125)
CEO

2023 Rank: #2

Industry Experience: 20 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 14

CJ Schmidt has hit his stride.

The CEO of the industry’s sixth-largest supplier was named Counselor’s 2024 Person of the Year, and he continues to rack up strong influence scores from industry peers, preserving his spot as the number-two ranked person on this year’s Counselor Power 50 list.

Over the near-decade that Schmidt has helmed Hit, the Florida-headquartered firm has increased its annual North American promo sales an astounding 100% – no easy feat for a business that was already generating $319 million in 2015. (The supplier grew sales by 4.6% last year, adding $83 million in revenue in a difficult year across the industry.)

Still, Schmidt’s story – and his increasingly pervasive influence in promo – is about more than just soaring topline revenue. It’s about the bold moves he’s been making to achieve the results.

The acquisition of Barstool Sports’ swag business from then Counselor Top 40 distributor Touchstone (asi/345631) and the purchase of Profill’s fulfillment operation raised eyebrows around the industry, but the strategic gambles have paid off, galloping Hit forward.

The son of an industry legend and scion of the company his family built, Schmidt’s long been in the promo spotlight – a position that comes with pressure and expectation. So far, he’s sprinted past every obstacle, with no signs of slowing down. Promo has taken notice.

“It’s rare to see someone step out of the shadow of business-founding parents that helped grow and define this industry, but CJ has done that with a keen focus on where the market is and where it needs to be,” says Terry McGuire, senior vice president of Counselor Top 40 distributor HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000).