Accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP has named Steven B. Tanger, president and CEO of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), an EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
Tanger was recognized in the Hospitality and Retail category for the Southeast region, which includes Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., Tanger Factory Outlets’ portfolio includes 44 outlet shopping centers in 26 states and Canada. According to the company, 185 million shoppers visit Tanger properties annually. Under founder Stanley K. Tanger, the company opened the first outlet center in the United States in Burlington, N.C., in 1981. The firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1993.
Steven Tanger, who joined the company in 1986, became its president and CEO in 2009.
“The entrepreneurial spirit has been an integral part of our company’s DNA ever since my father, Stanley K. Tanger, opened the first ever outlet center over 32 years ago,” Tanger said.
According to EY, the Entrepreneur of the Year awards celebrate “celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses.” Winning the regional award means that Tanger is now eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 National Award, which will be announced in November. Another REIT CEO, Hamid Moghadam, chairman and CEO of industrial REIT Prologis (NYSE: PLD), won the national award in 2013.