About Us
Distinct Sales & Marketing was founded in 2014 with a clear focus on providing best-in-class representation to Dollar Tree, headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia. Since then, we have strategically expanded our reach to support a broader range of value retailers, including Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Roses, Big Lots, and Five Below.
Conveniently located less than one mile from the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar headquarters, our 3,000+ square foot showroom serves as a hub for collaboration, product presentation, and customer engagement.
Backed by a highly experienced team with deep roots in value retail merchandising, Distinct is uniquely positioned to help our partners navigate the marketplace, build strong retail relationships, and drive sustainable growth across multiple channels.
Distinct beginnings.
Bryan Bagwell, co-owner of Distinct, began his career with Dollar Tree at the company’s very first store and went on to spend 27 years with the organization, ultimately retiring as Senior Vice President of Merchandising.
Drawing on that deep industry experience, Bryan helped build Distinct alongside a team that shares similar roots—over 80% of its members also began their careers in the Dollar Tree merchandising organization. Today, that collective expertise continues to drive success as they partner with manufacturers and retailers to deliver results.
Our Distinct team.
-
Bryan Bagwell
Bryan Bagwell, co-owner of Distinct, oversees day-to-day operations while leading key headquarters sales initiatives. He brings decades of retail and merchandising expertise, beginning his career with Dollar Tree at the company’s very first store. Over a 27-year tenure, he played an instrumental role in building the business from its earliest stages, contributing to the development of all major merchandise categories as the chain expanded to more than 2,700 stores. He ultimately retired as Senior Vice President of Merchandising.
Since leaving Dollar Tree in 2004, Bryan has leveraged his deep industry knowledge in global sourcing and founded his own manufacturers’ representative agency, helping brands successfully navigate retail and drive growth.
-
Luanne McCarty
Luanne began her career in retail at the store level with Dollar Tree before advancing to the company’s corporate headquarters. Over time, she steadily progressed through the ranks, gaining comprehensive expertise across all aspects of purchasing, including imports. She ultimately served as the buyer for the HBC category, where she demonstrated strong capabilities in product development, strategic planning, and forecasting.
Luanne is especially recognized for her ability to develop creative, effective solutions to complex challenges—an asset that has proven invaluable to her partners. After leaving Dollar Tree, she leveraged her extensive experience to build a successful career as a manufacturer’s representative, where she continues to support vendors with insight, innovation, and strategic guidance.
-
Melissa Singleton
Melissa began her career at Dollar Tree Stores in the Import Merchandise Department, where she initially processed purchase orders. Within just a few years, she advanced to Manager, taking on a pivotal role supporting both buyers and suppliers throughout the buying lifecycle. Her responsibilities spanned purchase order management, sample coordination, packaging requirements, product testing, and logistics, ensuring a smooth and efficient flow from concept to delivery. After 14 years of dedication, Melissa switched gears and decided to work on the sales side of the business working for many suppliers as a sales rep. Her past experience and working relationships has proven to be a great asset in this position!
-
Karly Beckman
Karly is a sales‑driven retail strategist with 15+ years of experience turning insights into revenue and relationships into results. She began her career at Dollar Tree, spending nine years in Imports, Allocations, and Assortment Planning, building strong operational instincts and analytical discipline. She later worked with Family Dollar as a Category Advisor and then Associate Merchant for Oral Care and Bath, Body & Beauty. Known for translating performance data into clear, compelling sales stories, Karly excels at positioning items and categories to win—on the shelf, in the numbers, and in every conversation that leads to a “yes.”
-
Kay Bousman
Kay Bousman began her career with Dollar Tree, where she spent more than 25 years in a variety of roles ranging from warehouse operations to merchandising and buying. As one of the company’s original buyers—dating back to store #1—Kay played a key role in building the merchandise foundation during Dollar Tree’s earliest stages.
Over the course of her career, she developed broad category expertise across Health & Beauty Care, Housewares, Party, Stationery, and Seasonal, with the majority of her experience rooted in merchandising.
In recent years, Kay has transitioned to the sales side of the business, working closely with suppliers as a manufacturer’s representative. She has also been actively involved in product development and sourcing from China, helping bring competitive, market-ready products to retail.
-
Jason Lowe
Jason brings 28 years of leadership experience at Cox Communications and has been a vital part of Distinct since 2015, ensuring our business operations run smoothly. A Six Sigma Black Belt with an AS in Business Administration, he specializes in transforming complex data into clear, actionable insights using Power BI, Oracle, Tableau, and Excel. From managing IT support and networking to architecting easy-to-follow instructions, Jason’s unique ability to simplify the "complicated" ensures our analytical and technical infrastructure is as efficient as it is reliable.