As the CEO of the largest distributorship in the North American promotional products industry, Marc Simon doesn’t have time for fluff and fantasy. He calls it as he sees it.

Perhaps, then, it’s especially encouraging that the longtime leader of HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000) believes ample growth lies ahead not just for his Sterling, IL-headquartered firm, but the promo industry as a whole.

“The long term looks exceedingly good for our industry,” says Simon, a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of the industry’s most influential people and Counselor’s 2019 Person of the Year.

In this podcast with ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo, Simon serves up such clear-eyed insights on a variety of pressing promo topics, from how the broader economic situation might impact the industry to technology’s evolving role in the branded merchandise space. He also delves into everything from acquisitions to adapting to maximize opportunities, no matter the business environment.