#41 Yuhling Lu

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

2025 Rank: #36

Industry Experience: 33 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 3

Yuhling Lu, the CEO of Counselor Top 40 supplier Ariel Premium Supply (asi/36730), is excited about the completion of the firm’s new 250,000-square-foot facility in Tijuana. “It’s allowing us to tap a powerful labor force, quickly service the West Coast and improve our inventory positions across several key product categories,” Lu says. The St. Louis, MO-based company also enjoyed a successful 2025, with 7.4% year-over-year promo sales growth that Lu attributes to new product development and Ariel’s improved in-house printing and fulfillment capabilities. One hindrance, though, has been the continuing difficulty of hiring qualified talent. “Along with this is the ongoing challenge of consistently meeting production timelines for distributors,” Lu notes. “We’ve set goals on meeting challenges regarding sustainability – both in product and in operations – but this needs considerable time and resources to do it properly.”

Looking ahead, Lu says she’s thrilled about incorporating more AI into the business. “There are so many opportunities to build better strategies, analyze information and make stronger decisions,” she notes. “We’re also working toward more automation in our production department that will improve the work life of our associates.”