James Blakemore was named as a 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner. The awards recognize leaders and visionaries who demonstrate innovation, financial success and personal commitment as they create and build world-class businesses.
Blakemore started Zest Electric Motors in October 1980 as a specialized supplier of industrial electric motors to local companies, with a capital outlay of R30000 and a staff of 12.
Blakemore, an engineer, has applied the character traits of hard work combined with common sense, good customer service and staff loyalty, to grow Zest into a multimillion-rand business that has become a dominant player in the domestic market and exports to more than 24 countries.
Zest is importer of WEG products since 1981 and today is distributing all lines of WEG products, such as Low and High Voltage Motors, Generators, Drives, Soft starters, Transformers and Switchgear and Controls.
“We from WEG are very proud to have James as partner. His professional management of Zest Company allow us to offer a top level services on the day by day business to the customers in South Africa”, comments Mr. Celso Siebert, Export Director of WEG.
James says that Zest’s core business philosophy is based on providing high levels of technical expertise, quality products, competitive pricing, excellent service standards and extensive stock-holding to ensure customers are not inconvenienced by non-availability of products.
“Success comes to those willing to work hard, have passion for what they do and can persevere in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges”, he completes.
Of his award, Blakemore says it was a surprise to him as he never expected to be recognised as a leading entrepreneur. But he says the award was more of a recognition of the dedication that his staff has shown during the past two decades to providing superior customer service.
“I am very honoured with this award and it is pleasing for both our business and our people and reflects well on them,” he says.
Blakemore says having a business idea is the easy part; it is making sure that the idea or vision is transformed into a bankable project, realised into a practical business and made a success that will separate the winners from dreamers.
The award
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards was first launched by Ernst & Young in the United States in 1986 to celebrate entrepreneurs whose ingenuity and can-do spirit resulted in successful business ventures. Today, the awards programme has expanded to more than 135 cities in over 50 countries, with awards presented to over 1,000 of the world's most outstanding entrepreneurs.
Approximately 1,800 nominations were received for this year’s competition. From that list, a panel of judges selected about 240 regional and national winners. All honorees were inducted into the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of the Year Hall of Fame, which is on permanent display at Ernst & Young’s U.S. headquarters office at 5 Times Square, New York on the 23rd floor.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year competition is aimed at celebrating Entrepreneurs and creating a general public awareness of the benefits they provide to the world economy and our global communities. In the competition, the companies compete within a number of main and special categories across various business segments.
