35. Alan Vaught

Evans Manufacturing (asi/52840)

2020 Rank: 42 

Title: CEO

Industry Experience: 24 years

Not resting on his laurels, Vaught has maneuvered Evans through a series of pivots in the past two years, starting with repurposing its sewing production last year to meet high demand for masks. This year, the California-based Top 40 supplier firmed up its commitment to USA-made products during a year plagued by overseas supply chain disruption, and launched a “3-5-7” program for hundreds of products, regardless of decoration type. As the promo industry looks to diversify its supply chain outside of China, Vaught’s hard push into Mexico with its Nogales manufacturing facility has emerged as an attractive option for those seeking an alternative beyond the Great Wall. Notably, Vaught continues to pursue charitable initiatives, including sizable product donations to Mexico and two California food banks. Sales are up significantly at the supplier this year, as is Vaught’s place in the Power 50 list – up seven spots from the year prior.