HECO’s Justin Hatfield Named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award Finalist - HECO

Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs who are shaping the future.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Justin Hatfield, President of HECO Inc., is one of 34 finalists for Ernst & Young LLP’s (EY US) Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award.

Now in its 38th year, Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive business award for leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize sectors, and have a transformational impact on lives.

Hatfield was one of 34 regional entrepreneurs from 30 companies selected as finalists by an independent panel of judges. Candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

“I am extremely honored to be named as a finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year by Ernst & Young’s recognition. My fellow nominees and the companies they represent are great examples of successful leadership and teamwork,” Hatfield said.

“This nomination and my success would not be possible without the entire HECO team’s dedication and willingness to continually evolve our business and reach new milestones. I thank my team for their commitment and support,” Hatfield added.

Entrepreneur Of The Year honors many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company, transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory, and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to fortify it for the future.

Hatfield has served as HECO’s President since 2018. His father, Mark Hatfield, serves as the company’s CEO Emeritus and his grandfather, Terrell Hatfield, founded the company in 1959.

Regional award winners will be announced on Thursday, June 20, during a special celebration and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the National judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally.

The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the United States at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year competition.

For more information about the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, visit ey.com/us/eoy.

To learn more about Justin Hatfield and HECO, visit www.hecoinc.com.

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