PPAI Media: First off, Jonathan, congratulations on The PPAI Hall of Fame. For every honoree, it is the result of an incredible reputation of service to the industry. What does the recognition mean to you? Isaacson: This is an incredible honor. I was surprised and incredibly grateful. We all go to work every day trying to do the best we can. We have run the company in a way that we hope is going to make the people who work there proud and, equally importantly, a company that’s going to make our family proud. To see that recognized is just incredible. There are few things better than a recognition from your peers that you have done something well. The work we do for our customers, the industry, the company, and for our community is being recognized. PPAI Media: The award can only be given in retrospection of a job well done. But take us back to the beginning of your career in the industry. What did you imagine it would be like? Isaacson: I thought we could do better. In the early 1990s, we had this large set of orders going to retail. It was very early in my career, and through some good luck, and a bit of stupidity, I had landed the account, which was very complicated from a production standpoint. So, we decided I would move to Asia to oversee production and work to improve our supply chain. I was young and, in retrospect, I didn’t know very much about anything. But I had the ability and willingness to work crazy hours, get my fingernails dirty, and do what it took to deliver the orders. And I did. This was very early on in terms of China’s development and there were not a lot of other companies doing what we were. In fact, there was only one other company working in our main factory at the time, which was High Sierra. Ironically, they are now a part of Samsonite, and one of our brand partners. At the time, when I saw the quality of products they were making, I turned to our team and said, ‘This stuff’s incredible; why can’t we do this?’ Simultaneously, I came to realize that the promotional market was changing. At the time, the quality in the market was not what it is today. With that, I felt that there were a lot of customers who would want a quality product that elevated their brand and reflected what they saw at retail. So, I don’t know that I knew we were going where we are today, but I had this idea that we could sell great products supported by a superior customer experience. We just needed to work at it. It was really hard. We tripped a bunch of times. I could give you 30 or 50 different mistakes that we made along the way. But by and large, with a lot of effort from a lot of people, it worked. And I think that from what I can see, and the ratings that we get, the market is quite pleased with the product and the service that we’re putting out there today. PPAI Media: We can leave those 30 or 50 different mistakes out. What are your best memories from these past 30-plus years? Isaacson: There are a lot of good memories over the past number of years, so it is hard to distill it down to just a few. By the way, it does go fast. In this industry, the best memories will always be people and relationships. It has been a real honor, and great fun, to work with the team at Gemline. I’ve had the privilege to work with terrific people who have been engaged, smart, caring, and thoughtful colleagues. Outside of Gemline, I’ve interacted with people who were incredibly community-oriented, giving, thoughtful, and fun. There have been lasting relationships. I also have to say that the work we did on the product and our delivery systems has been fun and gratifying. We are always focused on improvement, both in the industry and the company, and it has been hard at times, but rewarding. PPAI Hall of Fame | Must Read “There are few things better than a recognition from your peers that you have done something well. The work we do for our customers, the industry, the company, and for our community is being recognized.” PPAI • JANUARY 2025 • 43
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