#38 Yuhling Lu

Ariel Premium Supply (asi/36730)
CEO/Co-Owner

2023 Rank: NR

Industry Experience: 31 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 1

After a five-year absence, Yuhling Lu returns to the Counselor Power 50, marking her second appearance on the list.

Lu’s reemergence among the industry’s most influential leaders comes as the Counselor Top 40 supplier she co-owns, Ariel Premium Supply, has been on a remarkable run. The Missouri-headquartered firm increased sales 21% in 2023 compared to 2022, breaking the $100 million mark for the first time ($109.4M) and ranking 16^th overall among suppliers in revenue. Impressively, sales are up 53% from the last full pre-COVID year – 2019.

Lu has led the implementation of strategies that are paying off handsomely for Ariel, including digging deeper into the drinkware category, expanding facilities and adding more imprint processes.

“Nearly every part of the company has gone through significant change to try and be more for distributors,” Lu says. “Operations were significantly expanded in St. Louis and also into Mexico, and we have a more robust product development process.”

Lu has also led Ariel to impressive advancements in the areas of corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity and inclusion. The firm earmarks $1 from every order to support global environmental organizations and has lent support to local nonprofits. To date, Ariel’s donations to about a dozen organizations have totaled more than $400,000, Lu shares.

Not one to seek the center stage, Lu credits the Ariel crew for being indispensable to the company’s success.

“I’m very pleased with the work the entire team has done to manage our rapid growth and strategic planning over the last few years,” she says. “I feel they deserve a lot of the credit for where we are today. I’m also pleased about how diverse our workforce has become. We’re thriving through the contributions of multiple cultures and languages.”