BuildASign.com CEO Selected as 2012 "Austinite of the Year"
AUSTIN, TX – March 8, 2012 — Austin Under 40 (Au40) selected BuildASign.com CEO Dan Graham as "Austinite of the Year" at their 14th annual awards banquet held on March 2, 2012. Additionally, Graham was named the Business and Entrepreneurship category award winner, as Au40 recognized a dozen Austinites who not only excel in their professions, but also exhibit a solid commitment to community service.
"Dan Graham's impact on Austin's economic and civic communities is a great example of what we look for in an ‘Austinite of the Year,'" says Lance Parisher, Au40 Co-Chair. "Besides bootstrapping and growing BuildASign.com™ to more than 200 employees and $30 million in revenue in 2011, Dan is a strong community leader who contributes his time to a variety of non-profit and City of Austin development boards. He also mentors young professionals and emerging entrepreneurs in the hope that they can learn from his success."
The Au40 awards ceremony spotlights Austinites in 12 different categories ranging from medical and healthcare to arts and entertainment. Upon accepting his award for Business and Entrepreneurship, Graham gave much of the credit to his BuildASign.com team.
"I'm honored to be on the same stage with so many incredible young professionals," said Graham. "This honor really belongs to the BuildASign.com team and all of their hard work. I can only take credit for bringing them on board."
"Austinite of the Year" is the final award of the night, given to one of the 12 category award winners. Graham joins a list of respected community leaders, including Matt Curtis (Mayor's Office), Clayton Christopher (Sweet Leaf Tea Founder) and Evan Smith (Texas Monthly Editor), each known as much for their civic contributions as their professional success.
"I'm blown away by this recognition," said Graham. "I'm fortunate to have had success in my career and I believe it's critical to remember the importance of giving back; not only as individuals, but also as corporations. By volunteering and donating to local non-profits, we can make an incredible impact in our community."
In addition to this year's win as Au 40's "Austinite of the Year," Graham has been recognized as an Austin Business Journal (ABJ) "Fast 50" award winner three times, with BuildASign.com being named an ABJ "Best Places to Work" in Austin four years running, as well as an INC5000 company twice.
As part of BuildASign.com's continued strategy for growth, the company will celebrate their new move to a sprawling, state-of-the-art office and production facility in north Austin in mid-April. The new facility will feature a 60,000 square-foot manufacturing floor and roughly 22,000 square feet of office space. The event will be invitation-only as well as open to the media.
About BuildASign.com™
Founded in 2005, Austin, Texas-based BuildASign.com™ is the leading online source for custom signs, banners, magnets and more. Using the company's proprietary web-based technology, customers can design and purchase signs online quickly and easily, any day, any time, from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. With BuildASign.com™'s innovative production system, each high quality sign prints and ships with industry-leading speed.
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