The East Stroudsburg University President\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Vigon emerged as one of the flavor and fragrance industry\u2019s fastest growing companies \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
The company has repeatedly been named One of the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania <\/em>and has been named one of the Nation\u2019s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For <\/em>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.<\/p>\n Somers attributes the company\u2019s growth in large part to the unique partnerships that Vigon established with its customers, community and the world\u2019s premier flavor and fragrance manufacturers. At the heart of his success is his team of 87 people, who embrace the \u201cYipppeee\u201d 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\u2019s College and his master\u2019s degree at St. John\u2019s University in Queens, N.Y.<\/p>\n The President\u2019s Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series brings entrepreneurs to ESU\u2019s campus to talk about the various challenges they\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n