#12 Jonathan Isaacson & Frank Carpenito

Gemline (asi/56070)

2023 Rank: #10

Jonathan Isaacson – Executive Chair

Industry Experience: 36 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 18

Frank Carpenito – President & CEO

Industry Experience: 10 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 1

Under Jonathan Isaacson’s and Frank Carpenito’s leadership, the Lawrence, MA-based Counselor Top 40 supplier has amplified its sustainability bona fides in the industry. Following the news this past spring that it attained Massachusetts Public Benefit Corporation status, the company has just announced it’s now a certified B Corp. It’s on-brand for Gemline, which in March announced “We Promote Community” as its new purpose statement (this after donating nearly $1 million worth of money and product to charity in 2023). While Europe continues to lead the way in environmental initiatives, Isaacson and Carpenito are pushing the American market to catch up, in particular by providing carbon footprint information for a number of products in its line. In addition, 95% of its offerings are now PVC-free.

While Gemline’s revenue slid by nearly 11% in 2023, Isaacson (who’s been on the Counselor Power 50 every year since the list’s inception) and Carpenito (who joined the company in 2019 and made his debut on the list last year) are positioning the supplier for growth in several ways. The pair oversaw the consolidation of operations in two separate buildings into one larger space in Lawrence, resulting in capacity expansion of over 20%. They’ve also expanded into headwear and umbrellas, as well as continued their steady cadence of adding retail brands, including tech accessories from Cleer and iLive; coolers from Igloo; and bags from High Sierra.