Deschutes Brewery’s Gary Fish wins Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013

Deschutes Brewery Founder and Chief Executive Officer Gary Fish was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award at a ceremony last Friday in Seattle. As a regional award winner in the Pacific Northwest, Fish will go on to the national Ernst & Young annual awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on Nov. 16. The award recognizes outstanding high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Fish was selected for the award based on the successful growth of Deschutes Brewery, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and is currently ranked as the fifth largest craft brewery in the nation. Fish’s long-term commitment to innovation and experimentation in the brewing field has helped to shape his own company and the industry as a whole. He was also selected based on his ongoing work in giving back to the community; the brewery dedicates $1 per barrel sold to charities to help fulfill the goal of building a healthier society.

Now in its 27th year, the Entrepreneur of the Year Program has expanded globally to recognize company builders in over 140 cities and in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The November national awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.