SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, CA – Earthbound Farm, one of the nation’s leading organic food companies, today announced that CEO Charles Sweat received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2011 Northern California Award in the Food Products category. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Sweat was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a gala event at the Fairmont San Jose on Saturday, June 25, 2011.
“I am humbled to be recognized with this award,” said Sweat. “Especially when I think about some of the others who have won this award. But I’m also proud because it’s really a well-deserved recognition of the good, hard work that the entire Earthbound Farm team has done to further our mission of bringing the benefits of organic food to as many people as possible. And I am also fortunate to have the strong support of my wonderful family.”
Sweat has been with Earthbound Farm since 1998 when he joined the company as CFO. He became president in 2006 and CEO in 2009. “Despite a crisis that might have driven many companies out of business, Charles Sweat has led Earthbound Farm to reinvent food safety and earn the distinction as the largest grower of organic salad greens in the nation,” said the Ernst & Young Smart Business supplement.
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards Program celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Past award winners have included Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Arthur M. Blank of AMB Group, LLC (Home Depot, Atlanta Falcons), Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc., Ruth Fertel of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Inc., Maxine Clark of Build-a-Bear Workshop, Tom Adams of Rosetta Stone Inc., Matt Szulik of Red Hat, Inc., and last year’s national winner, Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Capital Partners, Inc.
As a Northern California award winner, Sweat is now eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 National Award. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the overall Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year National Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 12, 2011. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies, which will be held November 9–13, 2011.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a national sponsor.
In Northern California, local sponsors include ManpowerGroup, SAP, The Big Picture Film and Video Arts, Smart Business, ADP, RoseRyan, Scherzer International, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.
About Earthbound Farm
Founded in 1984 on a 2½-acre backyard garden, Earthbound Farm is one of the nation’s leading organic food brands. Earthbound Farm’s nationally-lauded food safety program is unparalleled in the produce industry. The company offers more than 100 varieties of certified organic salads, fruits, and vegetables grown on over 36,000 acres by 150 independent farmers. Taken together, those organic farming methods will keep more than 11.5 million pounds of conventional chemicals out of the soil, water, and air during 2011 alone. In addition to organic farming, Earthbound Farm brings a sustainability ethic to its packaging, and was the first salad producer to convert all its rigid plastic packaging to 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) PETE plastic. The company also uses 99% PCR paperboard for its shipping cartons and 100% PCR paper in its business machines. For more information, visit Earthbound Farm’s website at www.ebfarm.com.
About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.
Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.
Source: Earthbound Farm
