CLEVELAND — Jodi Berg, president and CEO of Vitamix, has received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 Award in the Family Business Category in the Northeast Ohio region. Vitamix, a fourth-generation family-owned manufacturer of high-performance blending equipment for home and commercial use, was founded by Berg’s great grandfather in 1921. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
When Berg took over leadership of Vitamix’s household division in 2002, she recognized that her family’s company was on the brink of an incredible growth opportunity because people around the world were finally starting to recognize the link between health and whole-food nutrition, and the Vitamix machine is the ultimate tool for healthy eating. However, Vitamix wasn’t ready to take advantage of the opportunity and there was a risk that companies many times its size would step in and fill the void. Not about to let that happen, Berg made it her mission to transform Vitamix and develop capabilities and a powerful brand that would carry the company into the future. She instituted sweeping changes touching everything from the company’s vision, brand and culture to its business model, product development and organizational structure. Her determination led to a period of phenomenal growth and created a high-performance, customer-centric culture focused on creativity and innovation.
As a Northeast Ohio award winner, Berg is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 15, 2014. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.
Now in its 28th year, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program 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 145 cities in more than 60 countries.