EY Announces Rifino Valentine Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 Finalist in Michigan

EY Announces Rifino Valentine of Valentine Distilling Co.  as Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 Award Finalist in Michigan and Northwest Ohio Region

Ferndale, Mich. – EY recently announced that Rifino Valentine, Founder of Valentine Distilling Co. is a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 Award in the Michigan and Northwest Ohio Region. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Valentine was selected as a finalist by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 27 at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).

“I am honored to be recognized as a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Our spirits are known for their numerous accolades internationally, and to be recognized as an outstanding entrepreneur and business owner is humbling,” said Rifino Valentine, Founder of Valentine Distilling Co. “Thank you EY for creating this opportunity and recognition.”

Rifino Valentine is an American entrepreneur who has a vision for the big picture and presses above the competition of the highly competitive imported spirits catalogue across the world. Rifino Valentine has a philosophy about manufacturing in this country and specifically in Detroit – a city well-established as the epicenter of quality manufacturing for more than a century. Valentine shows America what true excellence in manufacturing can be when distilled spirits production meets the most vaunted manufacturing capital in U.S. history.

Valentine has always appreciated the American craftsman; working by hand, making one-of-a-kind products that stand the test of time. In distillation, this means selecting the best ingredients, distilling in small batches, and taking care in every single step of the process. This leans heavily on employing old-world techniques that haven’t changed in centuries, but improving on them through an intimate understanding of the science involved in the complex and dynamic processes.

Valentine focuses on two main goals in his business: to prove the best products are still made in this country – and in Detroit –  and that the end-goal of business does not have to be solely about profit. “You can have both – quality and profit,” Valentine remarks.

“I am taking a stand against mass produced spirits. I am here to prove that American ingenuity and quality American manufacturing is still alive,” says Valentine.

Now in its 32nd year, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities and more than 60 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National competition. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 17, 2018. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

-###-

About Valentine Distilling Co. 
Established in 2007, Valentine Distilling Co. is an American pioneer of small batch spirits. When Valentine first started production, there were approximately 15 to 20 micro-distilleries in the U.S. Today, there are more than 2,000 known micro-distilleries in the country. Valentine Vodka has been named “World’s Best” by The World Vodka Awards in London back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. Also in 2017, Valentine Distilling Co.’s 10-year Mayor Pingree Blue and Black label bourbons received the most prestigious medal awarded, the Double Gold, at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The company’s award-winning vodka, gin, and bourbon are available in seven states, Western Europe and Ontario. In the tradition of Detroit’s manufacturing leadership, Ferndale, Michigan-based Valentine Distilling Co. is dedicated to American ingenuity, quality manufacturing, and small batch distilling using old-world techniques that create superior products.
Valentine Distilling Co. | 965 Wanda Street, Ferndale, Michigan 48220
Valentine Distilling Co. Cocktail Lounge | 161 Vester Street, Ferndale, Michigan 48220
Local to Global. It’s Better.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year®, founded by EY, is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs, chosen from an independent panel of judges including entrepreneurs and prominent leaders from business, finance, and the local community. The program makes a difference through the way it 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 awards program 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 and more than 60 countries. Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the US by SAP America, the Kauffman Foundation, and Merrill Corporation. In Michigan and Northwest Ohio Region, sponsors also include Citizens Bank, Colliers International, Foley & Lardner, Oswald Companies and Tanner Friedman.
ey.com/eoy