Registration for Utah’s Premier Business Entrepreneur Event Is Open and Filling Quickly
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (February 6, 2014) – MountainWest Capital Network (www.mwcn.org) announced today that it will be awarding Tom Dickson, founder of high-speed blender manufacturer Blendtec, its 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year award. The annual award – recognizing a Utah entrepreneur who has built a thriving, industry-leading Utah-based company – is designed to inspire others to participate in the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship and to give back to the community by sharing their knowledge.
“Tom Dickson exemplifies what it means to be a successful entrepreneur,” said Reed Chase, President of MWCN. “Each year we have the opportunity to consider many highly respected and successful entrepreneurs for this award, but we can add only a single recipient into this elite group of successful Utah business people. Tom Dickson has proven to be a leader, mentor and source of inspiration for other entrepreneurs, including those among the younger generation.”
Tom Dickson has been a serial entrepreneur since age 29 in 1975. Dickson founded Blendtec in 1989 and has driven innovations in blending technology that have built the company into a leader in the design and manufacture of high-speed commercial and residential blenders. He also conceived of, and stars in, an ongoing series of humorous Will It Blend?® videos showcasing the power of his products by using them to pulverize items ranging from golf balls to iPads. Those YouTube videos became a viral sensation when they launched in 2006, have been seen by nearly half a billion people, and have dramatically expanded recognition of the Blendtec brand.
Today, Blendtec has a workforce of more than 450 people, including 350 in Utah, and expects to add an additional 100 personnel this year. The company’s products are used in prestigious restaurants and smoothie shops as well as family kitchens around the world.
“Every entrepreneur starts with an idea. In my case, it was to make a better blender. I could not have known 25 years ago that pursuing that idea would eventually bring me an honor that has been earned by principals of powerhouse companies like Iomega, Novell, Extra Space Storage and Sky West Airlines,” Dickson said. “It’s always gratifying to be recognized, especially alongside business icons like these.”
The MountainWest Capital Network Entrepreneur of the Year Award & Lunch Event will be held on Thursday, February 20 at the Little America Hotel from 11 AM – 1:30 PM. Registration for event attendance is open and available on the MWCN website here: http://www.mwcn.org/event-registration/
About MountainWest Capital Network
MountainWest Capital Network is Utah’s first and largest business networking organization devoted to supporting entrepreneurial success, and dedicated to the flow of financial, entrepreneurial and intellectual capital. For more information visit http://www.mwcn.org/
About Blendtec
Blendtec designs and manufactures the world’s safest and most powerful high-speed commercial and residential blenders. All Blendtec blenders are designed and assembled in the USA at the company’s Orem, Utah facility. For more information, visit www.blendtec.com.