#1 Jeremy Lott

SanMar (asi/84863) – President/CEO

2024 Rank: #3

Industry Experience: 24 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 12

Jeremy Lott traces his entrepreneurial spirit all the way back to his great-great-grandfather, Max Esfelt, who owned a small luggage store called the Diller Trunk Co. On Esfelt’s business card, Lott says, were these sentences: “My business is my business, and your business is my business. Therefore, let’s do business.” That concept – making customer success the business of Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863) – “remains the guiding force” behind everything the No. 1 supplier in the industry does, adds Lott.

It’s also one of the reasons Lott has maintained so much influence in promo, with exceptionally high marks on the Counselor Power 50 survey from both fellow Counselor Power 50 members and the industry at large, sending the SanMar leader back to the top of this year’s list. (He was previously number one in 2022.)

Lott, the second-generation owner of his multibillion-dollar family company based in Issaquah, WA, says he’s particularly proud of the launch of a flagship automated distribution center in Virginia this year, calling it “our largest and most advanced facility to date.”

“This milestone represents a significant leap forward in how we serve our customers, combining scale, speed and precision to deliver a best-in-class fulfillment experience,” Lott adds.

The other major company achievement Lott points to is deeply personal. His son, now in high school, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2022. This year, SanMar partnered with Breakthrough T1D as a presenting sponsor of its nationwide walk series. “Seeing the SanMar team rally behind this initiative both at the Seattle race, Beat the Bridge and at the walks across the country was really motivating,” Lott says. “I can’t wait to see how we can continue to support this outstanding organization and spread the word to our partners and customers in the years to come.”

Lott remains a go-to industry thought leader across a range of subjects – especially supply chain management and sustainability. In fact, SanMar’s most recent sustainability report highlighted how the supplier reduced its emissions intensity by 11% in 2024 from a 2019 baseline and that it offers more than 200 styles featuring lower-impact materials.