Liberty Power's CEO and President Named Finalists for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Award in Florida

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Power, the nation's largest independent retail electric supplier, today announced co-founders David Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer, and Alberto Daire, President, are finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Award in Florida. Award winners will be announced at the Florida awards gala on June 13 at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Florida.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120712/FL38325LOGO )

According to Ernst & Young LLP, the awards program recognizes high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

"These finalists were selected from nearly 80 nominations by a panel of independent judges," says Greg Rosica, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Florida program partner. "Collectively, these finalists grew their employment by 18 percent and their revenues by nearly 36 percent between 2010 and 2012."         

Hernandez and Daire co-founded Liberty Power in 2001 and have guided the company on a consistent path of growth and advancement. This isn't the first time the co-founders have been recognized for their entrepreneurship; they were also recognized as finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in 2010.

"We are humbled and honored to be named a finalist for this award a second time. This esteemed distinction is a symbol of our entrepreneurial spirit," said David Hernandez, CEO and co-founder. "The energy industry is constantly changing and every day something new and exciting challenges us to reach even higher."

Over the years, Liberty Power has also been acknowledged by several of their partners for their extensive service and leadership as a supplier. In 2008, Liberty Power received the Bill Alcorn Supplier Diversity Award from JCPenney; Frito-Lay North America recognized them as Supplier of the Year in Energy in 2009. Earlier this year, Liberty Power accepted the Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC), Inc. ® 2013 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) of the Year Award. They were nominated by long-time customer, Costco® Wholesale.

"When we first established the company, it was hard to imagine ourselves in the position we are in today. We could not have reached this stature without the commitment of our Liberty Power team, our channel partners, and of course, our customers," said Alberto Daire, President. "The initiative and drive shared throughout the company has helped to shape the nature of our business and propel us forward."

Hernandez and Daire are also interested in sharing their hard-won knowledge on how to successfully launch new, scalable businesses. The co-founders are currently exploring ways to share their business and leadership experience with the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 27th anniversary this year. The program has expanded globally to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities in 50 countries.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year national program. Award recipients in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 16. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

About Liberty Power
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Liberty Power is the largest independent retail electric supplier in the United States based on 2012 KEMA rankings of electric retailers. The company is also the first certified, minority-owned supplier with a national footprint, and the largest Hispanic-owned energy company in the United States according to Hispanic Business. Liberty Power provides large and small businesses, government agencies and residential customers with low-cost electricity and exceptional customer service.

For more information on Liberty Power, please visit www.libertypowercorp.com

Liberty Power is a registered trademark of Liberty Power Corp. LLC encompassing Liberty Power Holdings LLC, Liberty Power Delaware LLC, Liberty Power Maryland LLC, Liberty Power District of Columbia LLC, and LPT LLC, dba LPT SP LLC. Liberty Power is certified and licensed by the Public Utilities/Service Commissions of: CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, ME, MD (IR793), MA (CS-057) MI, NJ (ESL-0001), NY, OH, PA, RI, TX (10118) and VA; as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year® awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Regional sponsors include Carlton Fields, Fifth Third Bank, Tribridge, Vaco, RFB Communications Group, Scherzer International and Smart Business Network.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential. Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US.

About Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets practice
Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary team of elite professionals provides perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter at EY_Growth.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award 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 award 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 140 cities in more than 50 countries.

SOURCE Liberty Power