ASI's Counselor Magazine Unveils Prestigious 2018 Power 50 List

TREVOSE, PA – October 16, 2018 – Counselor^® magazine, the most authoritative trade publication in the $23.6 billion promotional products industry, today named the 50 most influential business leaders in the industry, a prestigious and hotly anticipated list topped this year by Marc Simon, CEO of HALO Branded Solutions.

Counselor is published by the Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI), a membership organization and technology provider that serves a network of 23,500 suppliers, distributors and decorators of logoed promotional products in 55 countries.

For the second time, Simon was ranked number-one in Counselor’s Power 50 rankings, the result of a whirlwind stretch of mergers and acquisitions in 2017 and 2018 that positioned HALO as an increasingly dominant player in the promo market. The 66-year-old Sterling, IL-based company, with 1,300 employees, became the third-largest distributor in the industry after reporting 2017 North American promotional products sales of $416.4 million – a 47.5% increase over the previous year.

“Every one of the impressive people on this year’s list are inspiring, accomplished leaders,” said Timothy M. Andrews, ASI’s president and chief executive officer (@Tim_Andrews_ASI). “They’re navigating tremendous change and withstanding powerful forces reverberating throughout the marketplace while posting financial gains that are truly impressive.”

The annual rankings are determined by surveys of the industry and reviews of company financials, along with input from last year’s Power 50 and an influential panel.

The top-ranked executives on the 2018 Counselor Power 50 list are:

• Marc Simon, CEO, HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000), 2017 rank: 6
• Marty Lott (CEO) and Jeremy Lott, (president), SanMar (asi/84863), 2017 rank: 3
• Kevin Lyons-Tarr, CEO, 4imprint (asi/197045), 2017 rank: 4
• Norm Hullinger, CEO, alphabroder (asi/34063), 2017 rank: 5
• Chuck Fandos, CEO, Facilisgroup, 2017 rank: 1
• Ely Eastman (founder), Taly Eyal (CFO) and Sharon Eyal (CEO), ETS Express (asi/51197), 2017 rank: 18
• CJ Schmidt, president, Hit Promotional Products (asi/61125), 2017 rank: 2
• Greg Muzzillo (founder) and Vera Muzzillo (CEO), Proforma (asi/300094), 2017 rank: 8
• Ross Silverstein, president/CEO, iPROMOTEu (asi/232119), 2017 rank: 10
• Gene Geiger (CEO) and Jo-an Lantz (president), Geiger (asi/202900), 2016 rank: 7

Click here for the entire Power 50 list, along with profiles of each executive.

“We believe this is our most comprehensive Power 50 list ever – a group of founders, disruptors and influencers who are setting the industry’s agenda in 2018 and beyond,” said Dave Vagnoni, editor-in-chief of Counselor. “Notably, this year’s list includes 15 newcomers – seven of them women – demonstrating that our industry is not only growing in overall sales, but in opportunity for everyone.”

In advance of the Power 50 issue, Counselor magazine surveyed this year’s leaders, with highlights below:

• Average number of years in industry: 23
• Number who founded their company: 25
• Percentage who think the industry is headed in the right direction: 99%
• Percentage who plan to add employees in 2018: 90%
• Percentage who expect to retire in next three years: 1%

The high-ranking executives on the 2018 Power 50 list were recognized at a celebratory dinner during the 12th annual ASI Power Summit held October 14-16, at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, AZ, and attended by entrepreneurs, multinational CEOs and small-business owners. Speakers included industry experts, along with Jesse Itzler, co-founder of Marquis Jet, the world's largest private jet card company, and former partner in Zico coconut water.

Learn more about the Power 50 in the November online and print editions of Counselor magazine. Published 13 times a year by ASI, the Jesse H. Neal award-winning Counselor magazine has served as the voice of the promotional products industry for over 60 years. The magazine has recognized the industry’s Power 50 every year since 2006.

For more info about the CounselorPower 50 list contact Dave Vagnoni at dvagnoni@asicentral.com.

About ASIThe Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI^®) serves a network of 23,500 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the $23.6 billion promotional products industry. ASI’s flagship product, the technology platform ESP^®, manages the industry’s entire supply and marketing chain. ASI also produces award-winning digital and print content, live events and educational programs that enable companies in 55 countries to be more efficient, productive and profitable. ASI’s Counselor^® magazine provides the most authoritative business content in the industry, and the ASI Certification Program features 500+ live and online education courses for over 40,000 professionals. The company, family owned and operated since 1962, is proud to have been consistently ranked among the “Best Places to Work” in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA. For more info: www.asicentral.com.