Founder of Sabert wins entrepreneur award

Albert Salama, the founder and chief executive officer of Sabert Corporation, has received the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 Award in the Excellence in Distribution and Manufacturing category in the New Jersey region. He is eligible for the national Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which will be announced in November.

The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Salama founded Sabert, one of the world’s largest providers of short-life food containers, 31 years ago, at the age of 32. Against the advice of friends and colleagues, he resigned from a position as vice president of a major global bank and began selling plastic food trays out of his apartment, based on a vision he had that lifestyles would eventually drive food choices just as much as taste. He launched the company with his own modest savings and no investors, and it now serves many businesses, from small independent caterers to multinational clients.

Over the past decade, Sabert's annual sales revenue has grown significantly, with a compound annual growth rate of 16 percent. Along the way, Salama built a new headquarters in Sayreville, New Jersey, and added or expanded facilities in Kentucky, California, Belgium and China.