#43 Randy Carr

World Emblem (asi/98264) – CEO

2024 Rank: NR

Industry Experience: 35 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 0

Randy Carr is a character – like, right out of central casting if you were portraying a frenetic, crazy-charismatic mad-genius CEO character. He idles in fifth gear and never stops talking. So much so, that when news of the Trump administration’s tariffs broke this past February, Carr, CEO of Hollywood, FL-based Counselor Top 40 supplier World Emblem (asi/98264), did something that most heads of multimillion companies would recoil from: He talked, on the record, to any news outlet that called. And hoo boy, did they come calling – including CNN and The New York Times, which did a lengthy profile on Carr and his business regarding an American business facing the domestic and global economy in light of Trump’s tumultuous tariff rollout. (He also spoke candidly with ASI’s Promo Insiders podcast about the challenges that tariffs posed to his company.)

A self-professed die-hard capitalist, Carr’s forthright, no-holds-barred view of what it’s like to be an American business owner at this particular point in history resonated with readers, editors and members of the promo industry who voted Carr onto Counselor’s Power 50 for the first time.

“The tariffs have created disruption across the industry,” says Carr definitively. “While some competitors are more exposed, we’ve benefited from our nearshore strategy and U.S. footprint, which has insulated us from the worst of it. Overall, we’re seeing a positive impact as customers look for reliable domestic and nearshore partners. We accelerated our investment in the Dominican Republic free-trade zone facility, which will give us even greater flexibility and speed to market. We’ve also doubled down on automation and technology to stay competitive regardless of global headwinds.” Carr has also spearheaded the opening of a new World Emblem facility in Houston to reshore business for domestic production.

World Emblem counts 1,500 employees across the U.S., Mexico, Canada and soon the Dominican Republic, and was up 45% last year – highly impressive for a nearly $150 million family business. Still, Carr – who took over running the business in 1998 – will be the first to tell you (and everyone else who reads his candid LinkedIn posts) that being part of a family business isn’t a day at a Dominican beach. His brother is in sales and his two young sons also work at the company. “It’s rewarding to see the next generation engaged in what we’re building,” says Carr, adding that the hardest aspect of being at the helm of his family’s company is making the tough calls, navigating uncertainty and knowing the buck always stops with him. “The most rewarding part is seeing the company grow, people develop and customers succeed because of what we’ve created. There’s shared values and trust, long-term commitment, vision and pride in building something generational.”

Perhaps in concert with his unvarnished style in the national press about being an American entrepreneur and business owner, Carr has let it rip on LinkedIn on a myriad of topics that include what it’s like to have sons in the business while also being their CEO and dad. And mistakes, well, he’s made a few. “Family dynamics sometimes clash with business needs,” he says, “and believe me – it’s difficult to separate work from personal life. Decisions can carry extra emotional weight.”

Carr says the response to his social media posts and interviews have been “overwhelmingly positive. People connect with authenticity, and I’ve found that being open about challenges as well as wins makes for stronger engagement inside and outside the company.”

Expecting to finish 2025 up from last year, Carr points to World Emblem’s growth being driven by strong demand and new product launches, even while navigating supply chain and tariff pressures. “I’m cautiously optimistic,” he maintains. “The market is shifting quickly with technology, nearshoring and global trade dynamics, but we’re positioning ourselves to not only adapt but lead. By 2026, I see World Emblem stronger, more innovative and with deeper customer partnerships than ever before.”