#3 Jeremy Lott

SanMar (asi/84863) – President/CEO

2023 Rank: #3

Industry Experience: 23 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 11

It’s been a very good year for Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar, according to the second-generation leader of the multibillion-dollar apparel supplier based in Issaquah, WA. “I think for the first time since 2019, we aren’t dealing with some crisis: COVID, supply chain, labor shortages or over-inventory,” Jeremy Lott says. “We’re back to normal and back to basics.” He adds that service levels, including things like inventory, on-time delivery and split shipments, are at all-time highs.

Lott points to SanMar being awarded for the third time as a Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal as a particular high point. “I’m a small part of an amazing team that’s passionate about our business and our customers,” he says.

Both Counselor Power 50 members and the promo industry at large continue to recognize Lott’s influence, giving him exceptionally high marks in the Power 50 survey. Lott is also a recognized leader on a number of significant issues, especially sustainability and social responsibility. SanMar recently became a System Partner for bluesign, a watchdog for sustainable textile manufacturing and responsible chemical management. The supplier also launched a line of charity-focused backpacks, co-branded with either the American Red Cross or the American Cancer Society, with SanMar donating $5 for every pack sold to the associated organization.

Perhaps the most impressive attribute of the promo industry’s number-one supplier (which Counselor estimated with guidance as having $3.6 billion in sales in 2023) is its year-to-year consistency, a direct result of Lott’s even-keeled approach to leadership and long-term vision. Lott notes that he and his team at SanMar are well-positioned to meet future challenges, thanks to a comprehensive strategic plan to guide growth. “The most significant part of our efforts are put to investing in technology that both digitizes and streamlines the way we do business with our customers and across our supply chain,” he says, “while doubling down on the personal relationships that continue to be a bedrock for what we do.”