President’s Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series Continues with Steve Somers

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on February 16, 2018, No Comments

The East Stroudsburg University President’s Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series, launched in April 2017, continues this semester with Steve Somers, owner/president of Vigon International. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. in Beers Lecture Hall.

Vigon emerged as one of the flavor and fragrance industry’s fastest growing companies – expanding from a nine-person, $5-million company in 1998, to the 87-person, $100-million entity that it is today. With a passion for simplicity, Vigon prides itself on its premium customer service, and its rapid turn-around time in producing and delivering over 2,000 products for the flavor, fragrance, and cosmetic industries.

The company has repeatedly been named One of the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania and has been named one of the Nation’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For by the National Association for Business Resources. In 2016 Somers was selected as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Greater Philadelphia area.

Somers attributes the company’s growth in large part to the unique partnerships that Vigon established with its customers, community and the world’s premier flavor and fragrance manufacturers. At the heart of his success is his team of 87 people, who embrace the “Yipppeee” mantra and who are always working to make customers happy! He also credits his education for his continued success. He earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from St. Joseph’s College and his master’s degree at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y.

The President’s Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series brings entrepreneurs to ESU’s campus to talk about the various challenges they’ve faced in their careers as well as life experiences and educational opportunities that have guided them on their journey. Past speakers in this series include Dan DiZio, ESU alumnus and founder of Philly Pretzel Factory, and ESU alumnus Dr. Sam Niedbala, CEO of CryoConcepts, LP.

For more information or to register for this event visit esu.edu/pdess or call Stacey Grant at 570-422-7920.