The prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award is conferred in some 50 countries worldwide every year. This was the 16th consecutive year that Ernst & Young had organised the vote intended to encourage and reward successful entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. Businessmen have to be highly successful merely to meet the strict eligibility requirements for participating in the vote. For the election Ernst & Young select only entrepreneurs who have inspired and motivated others through their vision and leadership. People who dare to take risks, who are determined and driven. After a series of qualifying rounds at various times throughout the year, on 6 September it was revealed that François Claeijs had earned a place in the final of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award – the five fastest-growing, most successful entrepreneurs in the Netherlands according to Ernst & Young’s criteria.

STAR Oil-Gas-Power will continue to be an innovative and sustainable entrepreneur for the near future. The company is now focusing on expanding in Germany. Claeijs: “In our sector, Germany is running behind the Netherlands. We want to change that by rolling out our concept there too. Because German oil, gas and energy companies also want to collaborate with a flexible partner deploying highly-trained professionals, people who have exceptional knowledge of the sector and for whom quality, service and safety are watchwords.

Our total ambition for STAR Oil-Gas-Power is to grow to 1,500 project professionals on our projects mainly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, and with that doubling our sales.