Paul W. Jones, executive chairman of Milwaukee-based A.O. Smith Corp., has been named the National EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 Distribution and Manufacturing Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP.
Jones, who was named the Midwest Entrepreneur of the Year in July, was recognized for his innovation, personal commitment and visionary leadership at A.O. Smith, where his business approach, new service offerings and innovative strategy made him stand out.
“When I joined the company, we needed to rationalize the acquisitions we made in order to put the company into a more efficient operation status,” Jones said. “Once our costs lowered in the marketplace, we were able to focus on bringing innovation back to the equation.”
Jones was selected from more than 250 regional award recipients by an independent panel of judges.
“Jones’ bold decision-making definitely impressed our judges,'” said Bryan Pearce, EY Americas director, Entrepreneur Of The Year. “Jones helped the company grow internationally both in China and India, which are now both highly successful ventures.”
