Jan Paul Rutten of Gulpener elected Entrepreneur of the Year

It started with over sixty Limburg entrepreneurs, but the jury was unanimous about the winner: Jan Paul Rutten of Gulpener Beer Brewery has been named Limburg Entrepreneur of the Year. He received the award Wednesday afternoon in their own tasting room in Gulpen.

Sustainability

The theme of sustainability was central to this edition of the entrepreneurial election of Dagblad De Limburger. Editor-in-chief Roy op het Veld praised Gulpener's approach: "Jan Paul Rutten's company shows that sustainable business is also possible with a healthy business model. Entrepreneurship is not just about profit, but also about reducing the burden on the world."

Gulpener is currently building the most sustainable brewhouse in Europe. The objective is ambitious: to achieve a completely fossil-free brewhouse. This means changes in the brewing process, technology and energy supply, among other things.

Regionally connected

The jury was also very pleased with the regional connectivity of Gulpener. The raw materials for the beer are purchased from farmers in the region. That's good for the regional economy and good for the environment.

The barley is grown on 450 hectares of Limburg land, by befriended farmers of the family business. Two thirds of the hops come from hop grower Wouters in Reijmerstok. Sustainability is also important to Gulpener's partners. Many growers work organically and they all have the Planet Proof label.

Impact

Where Gulpener also won over other entrepreneurs is the impact of the brand. It is a nationally known beer that acts as an ambassador for Limburg. "In the fields of barley in South Limburg you see the signs: 'Here is grown for Gulpener'."

More than proud

The readers of De Limburger chose eight finalists from a list of 25 Limburg entrepreneurs through an online vote. This showed that Gulpener was also the absolute public favourite. However, the final word was up to the expert jury, which came to the same conclusion. "They are enterprising and principled, with an enormous attachment to village and region."

Rutten accepted the trophy from the hands of Op het Veld on Wednesday afternoon. "This is very special. I am more than proud," were the winner's first words. "Every entrepreneur finds his way in his own way and this is a huge token of appreciation for me and the company.

Source: De Limburger