When Others Pulled Back, This Founder Went Full Throttle

By taking risks and always putting clients first, Vape Guys, a wholesale vape distributor, achieved exponential growth amid a global crisis.

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In 2020, travel came to a halt, the U.S. economy shrank, and Vape Guys, a global distributor of vape and hemp-derived products, experienced its first revenue drop since its founding in 2014. Rather than playing it safe and tightening spending as many competitors did, founder and CEO and Yan Gleyzer took a gamble: he purchased an additional $1 million-worth of inventory in a matter of weeks. "I realized everybody else was scaling back, so there was not enough supply. Somebody had to fill that void. I wanted to be that somebody." The risk paid off. In 2021, Vape Guys increased revenue by nearly 100 percent. This year, the company earns a place on the Inc. 5000 for the fourth time. Gleyzer credits the achievement to strategic risk, a steadfast focus on nurturing client relationships during challenging times, and a strong and resilient team.