56 • JUNE 2026 • PPAI Must Read | Distributors Not what HALO has been, but what it must become. The Constant HALO is not a new story. Founded in 1952, it has lived several lives, from a local outfit to a fast-growing public company, through an aggressive acquisition run in the 1990s, into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and, under Simon, into one of the most successful turnarounds the industry has ever seen, snowballing through still more acquisitions and attraction of account executives. When Simon stepped into the CEO role in 2001, HALO was, by most accounts, in existential crisis. The company had expanded too quickly, taking on debt and farflung operations it couldn’t control. Within about two years it found stability, and two decades later it became the first distributor to announce annual revenue north of $1 billion (although 4imprint would reach the mark in the same year, 2022). Since that banner year for HALO and the industry itself, sales have flattened. The company drops to No. 3 in the 2026 PPAI 100, down from No. 2 in each of the measurement’s first three annual editions. Stalling sales are the explanation. It posted $964.4 million in 2025 revenue. But Hilt believes HALO is positioned to reach multiples of that number within the foreseeable future. Within years, $2 billion or $3 billion may be in sight, if all goes as planned in a vision he calls “HALO Forward.” The recently flattened sales curve certainly doesn’t make the totality of Simon’s tenure any less impressive. And the future is very much built on the foundation he and his teams built. Since the mid-’90s, HALO’s core has been the decentralized model it pioneered and many others in the industry have replicated. Roughly 1,000 account executives operate with the independence of entrepreneurs, building deep, durable client relationships. Under Simon, the company expanded its capabilities across branded merchandise, uniforms and recognition programs, assembling an offering that could serve some of the largest and most demanding organizations in the world. Its industry impact has been unmatched over the past 25 years. Simon served as PPAI Board Chair in 2012. Another mainstay of the company, Dawn Olds, MAS+, held the seat in 2022. Former PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone, MAS, currently holds a senior VP position at HALO, and throughout the organization, its leaders and employees have been active participants in industry volunteerism at both the PPAI and regional association levels, with more than a dozen currently serving. Its work, elevating the industry, has frequently won PPAI Pyramid Awards, including two for marketing programs in 2026. For the first time, PPAI 100’s scoring now recognizes the industry-elevating volunteerism and Pyramid-worthy contributions. HALO earns PPAI 100 High Marks this year for its revenue, of course, but also its Online Presence, Professional Development commitment, tech-focused Innovation and Industry Faith, based on its credit rating. From the outside, it is easy to look at HALO and see a finished product – a mature organization that has already figured out how to win at scale. (HALO’s) work, elevating the industry, has frequently won PPAI Pyramid Awards, including two for marketing programs in 2026.
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