In the United States (US), Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) has announced that John Keppler co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Enviva Holdings LP, the world's largest wood pellet producer, was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Mid-Atlantic Award winner. John Keppler was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was announced during the program’s virtual awards gala on August 3, 2021.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The award recognizes those who are “unstoppable” entrepreneurial leaders, excelling in talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact, and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation, and future plans.
Being selected as an Entrepreneur of the Year by EY for the Mid-Atlantic is an honor and a true testament to the incredible work Enviva does every day to sustainably source, manufacture and utilize wood bioenergy to mitigate climate change. I sincerely thank the EY team for recognizing the dedicated and passionate work of displacing fossil fuels that Enviva has committed itself to achieve and I’m proud of the company that we’ve built that does right by our communities and is a leader in environmental stewardship and sustainability, said John Keppler, co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Enviva.
Looking to fundamentally change the complex equation of energy and the environment, Keppler founded Enviva in 2004 as a way to repurpose low-value wood and produce a renewable fuel that could support global energy demand instead of being discarded or burned as scrap wood.
Today, Enviva is a leading global renewable energy company specializing in sustainable wood bioenergy, a renewable fuel source that provides global power and heat generators with a drop-in alternative to fossil fuels. For power generation, woody biomass provides reliable and dispatchable energy that complements the intermittency of wind and solar and ensures a stable grid.
On a mission to displace coal, grow more trees and fight climate change, Enviva is a values-driven company operating under the principles of keeping promises, determination to make a difference, acting with integrity, and working with the qualities of openness, humility, and respect.
For 35 years, EY US has honored entrepreneurs whose ambition, courage, and ingenuity have driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries, and made a positive impact on their communities.
Keppler will go on to become a lifetime member of the esteemed multi-industry community of award winners, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight, and wisdom of fellow alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources.
As a Mid-Atlantic award winner, Keppler is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 National Awards. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced in November 2021 at the Strategic Growth Forum, one of America’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.
