Our annual picks of the industry’s rising stars – a brave, bold group that’s trailblazing a unique path to success.

Michael Levitt

MRL Promotions (asi/258137)

It’s been a great stretch for MRL Promotions (asi/258137) President Michael Levitt: he was a finalist for Advantages Distributor Salesperson of the Year and his company’s sales were up about $1 million for 2016. Not too shabby for the Florida State grad who used to print T-shirts for his fraternity.

“I like the ability to express creativity and execute for our clients. We maintain that forward-thinking mentality when looking for new products or programs,” Levitt says.

For example, one of his clients in the liquor market asked for an illuminated birthday cake that served as a shot holder and serving tray. Levitt says the rendering looked beautiful on the computer screen, but his team figured it would be unrealistic to pull off. However, they created the three-purpose product with ample branding visibility and made it look identical to the rendering. “We don’t play in the same playground as other distributors. We don’t compete against online companies. We work in the point-of-purchase arena and focus on niches that we excel in,” Levitt says.

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