And, in this industry, the product is incredibly fun. The improvement in the quality of the product and design over the years is just spectacular. I am amazed at how far we have come from when I started. We are putting out great product, made in a compliant and increasingly sustainable way. At Gem, we talk about “pride in people, pride in product.” I have had the privilege of being a part of the development of our company, our people and our product. I am proud of what the team has accomplished. That is a great memory. PPAI Media: One of the ways you’ve helped the industry is through connection and cooperation. The Gemline dinners, bringing business leaders together during The PPAI Expo, are legendary. This industry is unique in that it’s often collegial rather than cutthroat competition. Do you think you’ve played a role in creating that environment? Isaacson: I hope so. I agree that this is a collegial industry, but very competitive as well. Many of the biggest and best companies from when I started no longer exist. And these were great companies at the time. The landscape has changed a lot from when I started, from the demands of the customers to the regulatory environment. While all of the changes impact individual companies, a failure in some areas, such as compliance, has the potential to impact the entire industry. As a market leader, we feel we have a responsibility to be a part of the solution, and the ability to be a convener. For example, most people today take compliance for granted, meaning that we have to do these things. However, when it started to be an issue for the industry, everybody was looking at it saying ‘what is this and what do we do about it?’ We all were surprised by how fast things moved partly because the Association and the industry didn’t really have a seat at the table as legislation was being crafted in Washington. Once we realized what was happening, it was important for suppliers to be able to talk and to share knowledge with one another, because the whole industry was going to get punished if we didn’t make improvements. So we got suppliers together to learn from each other and it worked quite well. It benefited everyone, including the consumer. Of course, one of the more well-known meetings that we have done has been the Expo dinners. That started small and eventually took on a life of its own. With that, there are plenty of other examples of where we felt we had the ability to do something for our customers and the industry, so we did. During and after Covid, we had webinars to educate the industry. We pioneered trend forecasts, and spoke about what we thought were the most important trends at just about every type of industry event. Today, we are increasingly talking about sustainability. We view this as critical to our future. And, as we talk about this, and raise awareness, the reality is that it’s good for everybody, at the end of the day. PPAI Media: What about the wins along the way that you’ve really celebrated personally? Isaacson: When I originally bought Gemline, it was not a product I was terribly proud of and the service was not exceptionally good. Today, we have an amazing product line supported by exceptional service. It has been a very gratifying transition. We have been really early on a lot of trends, whether introducing relevant consumer brands or embracing compliance. Today, we are working really hard on sustainability, having committed to eliminate PVC and no PFAS in our product. These are really big lifts supported by our global team. And, as I have mentioned, we have an amazing team. It is a real joy to work with them every day. PPAI Media: You’ve mentioned the team and the people a few times now. What are you proud of about the group and the culture you’ve created? Isaacson: I have mentioned how impressive I have found my colleagues. With that, one of our critical success factors has been the fact that, at Gem, we operate as a team. In fact, we tell prospective candidates who are coming to Must Read | PPAI Hall of Fame 44 • JANUARY 2025 • PPAI
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