Geir Skaala Wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Norsafe Group’s CEO and founder Geir Skaala has been awarded Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Norwegian national final. Mr Skaala won the regional finals for south of Norway earlier this month, where he was chosen as the winner out of 320 candidates. 

"We create safety at sea. It's a vocation for us to contribute to improved safety on ships and rigs", Aleksander Skaala said, as he received the price on behalf of his father.  

The jury required that the winning company had demonstrated significant revenue growth, profit growth and equity, as well as growth in the number of employees. Norsafe, based at Tromøy in Arendal is the world’s largest manufacturer of lifeboats and advanced davit systems, and is a major supplier of free-fall lifeboats and fast rescue boats. The family-owned business is now also focusing on the production of military and professional boats. Geir Skaala has been in the lifeboat business his whole life and has built Norsafe into the company it is today since he entered the company in 1987. 

The jury concluded that Mr Skaala, with his enthusiasm for the employees, the company and the industry, is a worthy winner of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014:

"The entrepreneur has through tough priorities and strategic choices developed the business to the world's largest in it's industry. Innovative and technically advanced products customized to it's market has been the key to success. The entrepreneur has established a winning culture in an innovative business, which makes it well positioned for further growth". 

Mr Skaala, who won the industry category, will represent Norway in the international finals.