2014 Top 50 Distributors: The Interviews
Promo Marketing: How did you get your start in the promotional industry?
Jay Deutsch: My cofounder Eric Bensussen and I got our start in the promotional products industry very early on-before we even really knew what promotional products were. As kids, we sold pins at local hydroplane races, and the more we delved into the industry, we noticed there was a need for a company like BDA. As teenagers, we began what we called Sports Marketing Inc., but later expanded beyond sports and we rebranded as BDA Inc. Our very first project was for our hometown Seahawks to create "Alaska's Team" sweatshirts. The Seahawks are still a great partner today. In fact, we produced much of the in-stadium fan merchandise on their road to winning the Super Bowl this year.