The U.S. Direct Selling Association (DSA), the national trade association for companies that offer entrepreneurial opportunities to independent sellers to market and sell products and services, announced the winners of the prestigious 2018 DSA Awards program during a gala event at the DSA Annual Meeting in San Diego.

DSA Hall of Fame

The DSA Hall of Fame celebrates the contribution of visionaries whose work has helped chart the course for direct selling’s future success. Jeffrey Reigle, president and chief executive officer of Regal Ware, Inc., is the 2018 DSA Hall of Fame honoree. 

“The integrity, dedication and performance Jeff has demonstrated in running his company are the same attributes he has brought to his many years of leadership in the Direct Selling Association,” explained Joseph N. Mariano, president of DSA. “We are proud to welcome him into the ranks of direct selling’s most extraordinary leaders.”

DSA Awards

DSA Awards recognize the outstanding programs DSA member companies have implemented. The 2018 DSA Awards category winners are:

• Technology Innovation Winner: Amway – Product Registration (Customer/Sales Support)
• Product Innovation Winner: Mary Kay Inc. – Time Wise Vitamin C Activating Squares
• Excellence in Salesforce Development: Damsel in Defense – Journey to Protégé Business Training
• Marketing & Sales Campaigns: Scentsy, Inc. – ¡La Habana! Social Media/Online Campaign
• Partnership Award: ByDesign Technologies, Inc.
• The Rising Star: pawTree
• Vision for Tomorrow: USANA Health Sciences, Inc. – True Health Foundation

DSA Top 20

DSA also announced the 2018 Top 20 member companies, recognizing those with the top net sales in the United States for 2017:

• AdvoCare International, LP
• Ambit Energy
• Amway
• Arbonne International, LLC
• CUTCO/Vector Marketing Corporation
• Herbalife Nutrition
• Isagenix International
• The Juice Plus+ Company, LLC
• Mary Kay Inc.
• Medifast – OPTAVIA
• Melaleuca, Inc.
• Nerium International
• New Avon LLC
• Nu Skin Enterprises
• Scentsy, Inc.
• SeneGence International
• Stream Gas & Electric, Ltd.
• Thirty-One Gifts
• Young Living
• Younique

“We applaud these companies both for the products and opportunities they offer millions of Americans and for the significant contributions they make to the economy,” said Mariano.

DSEF Circle of Honor and Educator of the Year

The Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) also announced the recipients of its two highest honors during the DSA gala. The DSEF Circle of Honor recognizes industry leaders, academics and consumer advocates who made extraordinary contributions to the Direct Selling Education Foundation through personal efforts.  Dave Wentz, outgoing DSEF chairman, is the 2018 inductee into the DSEF Circle of Honor.

“We are excited to add Dave to DSEF’s Circle of Honor to celebrate his long history of supporting and contributing to the work and success of the Foundation,” said Gary Huggins, DSEF executive director. “Dave has also been a driving force in developing and implementing a bold new vision for the Foundation to mainstream direct selling by partnering with academics to produce industry validating research and reach tens of thousands of students every year with educational content on the channel.”

The DSEF Educator of the Year award celebrates the significant contributions and achievements of its valued academic partners. The recipient of the 2018 DSEF Academic of the Year honor is Dr. Elizabeth Davis, dean of the School of Management, University of San Francisco, and DSEF Academic Fellow.

“Dean Davis has made tremendous contributions to DSEF’s work to partner with university professors throughout the country to achieve our goal of reaching more than 60,000 students per year through DSEF events, curriculum and content,” Huggins said. “She has been a highly valued strategic advisor to the Foundation through her service on the board as well as a founding member of the Foundation’s Academic Advisory Council.”

2017 Statistics

During the Annual Meeting, DSA announced that in 2017, 18.6 million Americans were involved in some capacity in direct selling in every state, congressional district and community across the United States. The channel generated more than $34.9 billion in retail sales.