Peter Metcalf, CEO, president and co-founder of Black Diamond Equipment, along with the entire Utah outdoor recreation industry, was named winner of the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year award by MountainWest Capital Network.
According to Outdoor Industry Association data, the active outdoor recreation industry contributes $730 billion annually to the national economy, supports 6.5 million American jobs, generates $49 billion in national tax revenue, and produces $289 billion annually in retail sales and services.
“The outdoor industry is the very fiber of everything that is economically great about Utah,” said Reed Chase, chairman of the MWCN Entrepreneur of the Year committee. “It is an honor to recognize all of the entrepreneurs who participate in the industry. We are also especially pleased Peter is willing to accept the Entrepreneur of the Year on their behalf.”
The success of the outdoor industry in Utah is powered by entrepreneurs of companies of all different sizes-from hunting/fishing to skiing, from mom-and-pop shops to large retailers. Metcalf, who founded and relocated Black Diamond from Ventura, Calif., to Utah did so partly because of its wilderness-quality lands in 1991.
“The wilderness provides a unique American experience that allows visitors to learn about cultural and natural resources,” Metcalf said. “Access to the wilderness for recreation, hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, adventure and solitude provides a powerful platform for the outdoor recreation entrepreneurs of our state.”
Today Black Diamond is recognized as a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative gear and equipment for climbers, freeride skiers, peak baggers, and backcountry enthusiasts.
“Metcalf has mixed a passion for outdoor recreation with a love for the wilderness and its preservation to embolden and strengthen the entire outdoor industry,” said Jason F. Watson, president of MWCN. “Because of the hardworking entrepreneurs who provide services and products for the iconic wilderness recreational areas throughout the state, the outdoor industry is one of the largest and most successful segments in Utah, which is now recognized as the center of the industry.”
Each year MWCN recognizes the Entrepreneur of the Year-an entrepreneur who has demonstrated an ability to achieve significant entrepreneurial success, made a positive contribution to the entrepreneurial climate of Utah, and show a propensity for giving back to the community.
Metcalf will accept the Entrepreneur of the Year award at the award luncheon February 17, 2011 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Salt Lake City Little America Hotel. To attend, people can register here.