From Pavement Pounding to CEO of a $65 Million Company – Andy Shape Shares His Promo Products Story

From Pavement Pounding to CEO of a $65 Million Company – Andy Shape Shares His Story

Shape, a longtime promo products pro and CEO of Stran & Company, is Counselor’s 2023 Person of the Year.

Promo Insiders 7/27/2023

Andy Shape is a promo lifer and a calculated risk-taker who has never been afraid to go for it.

This was especially evident in late 2021. That’s when the CEO of Stran & Company (asi/337725) took the Top 40 distributorship public, listing the firm on the Nasdaq. It was one of the boldest moves by an industry company in recent years – one aimed at vastly accelerating Stran’s sales and raising the visibility of promo products as an industry.

For this high-profile strategic risk – and the ambitious growth plan Shape has spearheaded since Stran’s gone public – Andy was named Counselor’s 2023 Person of the Year. In this discussion with ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo, Shape offers a behind-the-curtain look at his and Stran’s fascinating journey.

Podcast Chapters
1:08 Michigan roots and a “ski jump” to New England.
2:24 A young PR pro’s career change to full-time promo. “Pounding the pavement in downtown Boston.”
5:14 Business lessons from the early days – and growing sales.
11:20 A desire to take growth to the next level – but how to get there?
16:58 The process of becoming a public company.
19:12 “Surreal” to list publicly. And more than $40 million raised.
21:00 Strategic acquisitions and organic growth.
27:20 The challenge of profitability since going public.
35:00 Predictions for Stran and the industry.