Business daily selects fastest growing companies

UTRECHT, November 18, 2008 - Econcern, the leading provider of sustainable energy solutions with the mission, " a sustainable energy supply for everyone", is according to the Financiëele Dagblad, the leading business daily in The Netherlands, the fastest growing company in the category "large" in the province of Utrecht. With a significant turnover increase of 889% over the last three years, CEO Ad van Wijk accepted the FD Golden Gazellen Award 2008 today.  

Founder and CEO Ad van Wijk explains how his company was able to grow so fast and also remain effective:  "The most important reason for our success is our innovative and resourceful way of thinking. The classic approach to energy issues is unnecessarily expensive and extremely inefficient. We start out with the question why and for what purpose the durable energy is used.  Then we start looking for a practical and logical solution. We don't just focus on delivering energy, but on the development of smart, sustainable solutions. We don't look under the ground for fossil energy, but up in the sky to the sun. The sun alone produces enough energy in one hour to provide the entire world with energy for a whole year! So there really is no energy crisis at all, there is just a creativity crisis! That's where Econcern does it differently and fills the gap. Econcern makes smart sustainable energy solutions that sell. "

This resourceful way of thinking is reflected in our solutions. For example, the Closed Greenhouse, where an energy collector captures heat and stores it underground, using it when required. Hereby the crop production is increased and the use of water and pesticides is greatly reduced. For example the development of a CO₂ neutral office building which produces all of its own energy using solar cells in the facade, heat and cold storage in underground aquifers, and an electricity system based on the use of sustainable biofuel.

Econcern realised a net profit of € 85 million and a turnover of € 443 million. The Financial expectations for 2008 are also favourable.

Econcern (www.econcern.com)

Econcern's mission is ‘a sustainable energy supply for everyone'. Econcern consists of operating companies Ecofys, Evelop, Ecostream, Ecoventures and OneCarbon. Together they deliver unique projects, innovative products and services for a sustainable energy supply. Econcern, which employs over 1,200 professionals in more than 20 countries across the world, was ranked No. 234 in Europe's top 500 listing of high growth, job-creating companies in 2007 and has won the European Business of the Year Award 2008.

For more information:

Econcern NV

Renée Schnitzler

Senior Press Officer

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