Mainebiz

Jo-an Lantz, president and CEO of Lewiston-based Geiger, leads a team of 300 employees. V O L . X X X N O. X V I I A U G U S T 5 , 2 0 2 4 12 antz has built her career at Geiger, and is actively helping others build theirs. She's recognized as a mentor and an inspiration by employees and peers, including for her work on the board of Promotional Products Association International, the industry's trade group. She now leads a company with sophisticated technology and offices throughout the U.S. and Europe — but which expresses belief in values from a founding in 1878. Mainebiz: You're the first Geiger leader from outside the Geiger family. Was it difficult to take on your role because of being an "outsider"? Jo-an Lantz: I have never felt like an outsider. Much of the credit belongs to Gene Geiger, former CEO [and cur- rent chairman], who made the baton transfer seamless. Every business has its own culture. Geiger's culture of respect is foundational. MB: Why did you originally join the company and then stay with it? JAL: I joined right after college. My intention was to work at Geiger for a period of time, then move to a differ- ent company with different opportuni- ties. But like so many of my colleagues, I never left. Long-term associates here are the norm. People stay. Geiger 70 Mt. Hope Ave., Lewiston What the company does: Global distributor of promotional products Staffing: 300 employees, 450 independent representatives 207-755-2000 / geiger.com For over 140 years, the company was also led by the Geiger family. That changed in 2019 when Jo-an Lantz rose from chief operating officer to become president/CEO. L A R G E E M P L OY E R Jo-an Lantz President/CEO Geiger L F U N FAC T : Geiger, a company headquartered in Lewiston, is the world's largest promotional products distributor to be privately owned by a single family. B y W i l l i a m H a l l This CEO leads LIKE FAMILY a fast-growing global company with generations-old values P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY

• Cover