ASI Recognizes Trailblazing Counselors in 2025 with Awards for their Notable Contributions to the Industry
The year 2025 saw the 26th annual ASI Chicago trade show host the prestigious Counselor Awards, honouring the most influential leaders and companies in the promotional products industry. The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), the leading authority in the $26.6 billion industry, announced the winners of these coveted awards.
In the category of Entrepreneur of the Year, Millie Tadewaldt, founder of Brilliant (asi/146116), was recognised for her outstanding contributions. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Alan Vaught, co-founder of Evans Manufacturing (asi/52840), in acknowledgement of his significant impact on the industry over the years.
Justin Zavadil, president of American Solutions for Business (ASB), was named Counselor Person of the Year. Under his leadership, ASB, a Counselor Top 40 distributor, experienced transformative growth, expansion into new markets, strategic acquisitions, and new ventures.
The Counselor Person of the Year honor, first awarded in 1965, is one of the most prestigious recognitions in the promotional products industry. This year, Carleen Gray, CEO of STAHLS', was named Counselor International Person of the Year for her transformative efforts in turning her company into a global powerhouse in decoration and on-demand technology.
The Counselor Woman of Distinction was awarded to Mandi Rudd, director of new markets at Genumark (asi/204588). The Bess Cohn Humanitarian Award was presented to Yvette Berke, president of Adapt Ad Specialty (asi/105620).
The 2025 Counselor Sustainability Advocate of the Year was Everywhere Apparel (asi/53059), and the Supplier Entrepreneur of the Year was Kelly Yarborough, CEO of Sock101 (asi/88071). The Counselor Distributor Family Business of the Year was Elite Promotional Marketing (asi/186738), and the Supplier Family Business of the Year was All American Writing Instruments (asi/76811).
At the awards ceremony, ASI also revealed the Counselor Top 40 distributor and supplier lists of the highest earning companies in the industry. Full profiles and photos of all award recipients are available at our website/news.
Carleen Gray has built bridges across the international promo community and set the pace for innovation in both the promotional products and print industries. Justin Zavadil's focus on e-commerce, operational innovation, and an employee-owned culture at ASB led to remarkable growth.
These awards serve as a testament to the dedication, innovation, and growth within the promotional products industry. The 2025 Counselor Awards ceremony was a celebration of these achievements and a recognition of the industry's bright future.
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