NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ernst & Young LLP today announced that Michael Fallquist, founder and CEO of Viridian Energy, a leading provider of affordable, green energy, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2012 Award in the Cleantech category in New York. 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. Fallquist was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a special gala on June 19, 2012 at the Marriott Marquis.
“It is an honor to receive such a prestigious award,” Fallquist said. “Viridian started as an idea to help individuals make a large collective environmental impact by simply switching their energy supplier. It has turned into so much more. Viridian would not be the company it is today without our exceptional executive team and our dedicated independent sales associates. Their belief, support and dedication to this initial idea helped create a company that is better than I could have ever envisioned.”
Under Fallquist’s leadership, Viridian Energy has experienced explosive growth. In 2009, the first year of business, revenues were $2.2 million. By 2011, the third operating year, revenue topped $205.5 million. The company's customer base has grown to more than 200,000 people in Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Fallquist’s vision for the company includes a long-term strategy of diversified and aggressive growth.
Now in its 26th year, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, Michael Dell of Dell Inc., Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Fred Smith of FedEx, Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google, Richard Schulze of Best Buy, Andrew Mason of Groupon, Mindy Grossman of HSN, Inc., Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn, and many more.
As a New York award winner, Fallquist is now eligible for consideration for the National Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Award. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the National Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 17, 2012. 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.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are sponsored in the United States by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
In New York sponsors include Marsh, HSBC, Scherzer International, Merrill Corporation, SolomonEdwardsGroup, Empire Valuation Consultants, WithumSmith +Brown, Murray Devine, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe , Morgan Lewis, DLA Piper and Cooley.
About Viridian Energy
Viridian Energy is a socially responsible retail energy supplier that provides greener electricity at an affordable price. The company services commercial and residential electricity and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania with electricity derived from renewable sources. In all of its markets, Viridian offers consumers discounted electricity rates that comply with a higher renewable energy content standard. Located in Norwalk, Conn., Viridian was founded with the vision to empower its customers to make a significant collective impact through a relatively small individual choice simply by switching energy providers.
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
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This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a U.S. client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.