LOS ANGELES, CA – EY recently announced that Sam Sinai, CEO, and Ben Pouladian, President, of Deco Lighting are semifinalists for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2017 Greater Los Angeles Region Award. Now celebrating its 31st year, the awards program recognizes entrepreneurs in over 145 cities and 60 countries who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
Sam and Ben were selected as semifinalists by a panel of independent judges. Finalists will be announced Monday, May 8, and winners will be announced at a black-tie Awards Gala on Thursday, June 15, with more than 700 Founders, CEOs and other business leaders in attendance, at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Before the age of 35, the founders of Deco Lighting, Ben Pouladian and Sam Sinai, began pushing the boundaries of the lighting industry. They became a force to be reckoned with as they brought innovative thinking and a commitment to excellence in the cultivation of their products. A hallmark of their leadership style is their refusal to accept mediocrity and their willingness to risk it all for the ideas they believe in. This ability to break the mold was present when the two cousins chose to grow a family-owned manufacturing business in the heart of Los Angeles. Rather than outsourcing production, the partners saw the benefits of keeping production in the US. Being able to promote their US-made product has given Deco the ability to rise not only as a pioneer in manufacturing, but also a leading U.S. employer. With a company culture that rivals that of Silicon Valley’s tech firms, Deco prides itself as being an incubator for innovative thinking and cutting-edge technology.
Inspired by companies like Zappos and Facebook, Ben and Sam decided to create a fun and respectful corporate culture that defines the very spirit of their company. Deco Lighting’s unique culture has become one if its top recruiting tools for top talent in the industry.
Ben and Sam have come a long way from the small warehouse in Gardena, California — where they started with a $200,000 investment, and only 5 employees — to being an industry leader that employs close to two hundred individuals and conducts business globally.
Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of the Year National Awards. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national award winner, will be announced at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 18, 2017. The awards gala is the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.
Learn more about Ben and Sam’s journey as EY Entrepreneur Of The Year semifinalists by following: @getdeco on Twitter.
Follow all the latest program developments @EY_EOYUS using #EOYGLA and visit the Greater Los Angeles regional website for more information: www.ey.com/us/eoy/greaterla.
About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. For more information about our organization, please visit: ey.com.
