#19 Ira Neaman

Vantage Apparel (asi/93390) – President

2021 Rank: #13

Industry Experience: 45 years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 16

Neaman slips six spots in this year’s rankings as a result of lessening influence as noted by both his Power 50 peers and the industry as a whole. Still, with four and a half decades of experience in the industry, Neaman’s standing as a leader and head of the largest apparel decorator in North America is unassailable. Under Neaman’s governance, Vantage grew its sales more than 16% in 2021 and has made significant strategic business moves, including bringing the GAP and Old Navy brands into the promo market and leveraging print-on-demand for single-piece orders. In recent years, Vantage also expanded into Europe, acquiring a majority stake in Krakow, Poland-based Lynka – thanks to a longstanding friendship between Neaman and Lynka founder John Lynch, who has described Neaman as “an industry legend” and “a great entrepreneur.”