Beth Cross of Ariat International Named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 Award Winner in Northern California

UNION CITY, Calif., June 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Ariat has announced that Co-Founder and CEO Beth Cross has been named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 in the Consumer Driven category by Ernst & Young. The award was first announced at a gala hosted at the Fairmont San Francisco on June 8th. This is the 32nd year that EY's independent panel of judges has recognized leaders that make a difference. The nominees were judged on the following criteria: extraordinary innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their business and community. Past recipients include Howard Schultz of Starbucks Corporation and Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn.

"I am honored to receive the EY Entrepreneur of the Year® award alongside so many talented leaders and visionaries," said Beth. "It is gratifying to be acknowledged for the contributions my team and I have made as we have grown the Ariat brand into key markets around the world. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do and what I am most proud of is that it continues to guide us in developing some of the most technologically advanced products in the market today for our customers."

In 1990, while working at Bain and Company on a strategic marketing and product development strategy for a global athletic shoe brand, Beth Cross and co-founder Pam Parker saw an opportunity to apply the principles of athletic shoe technology and sports marketing to the equestrian footwear market.

In 1993, the first Ariat riding boots entered the marketplace and the company rapidly developed new technologies and products to serve the needs of the world's top equestrian athletes. Today, Ariat is the largest equestrian footwear and apparel brand in the world, with over 6,500 retail partner locations and a team of 500 employees located in offices in Northern California, the UK, China, Mexico and Japan. The company continues to lead the market in designing, developing and producing the most innovative footwear, apparel and denim for its loyal following around the world.

As a Northern California award winner, Beth is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2018 National Awards, to be announced in November 2018. For additional details on all of the winners, please visit ey.com.

About Ariat International
Ariat International is the leader in developing innovative performance equestrian footwear and apparel. Featuring patented technologies designed to deliver stability, durability and comfort, Ariat pioneered the application of advanced athletic shoe technology into English riding boots and authentic Western boots. Ariat products are sold in a network of retail outlets throughout the world. For more information about Ariat products or for the Ariat retailer nearest you, contact Ariat at 800.899.8141 or visit www.ariat.com.

SOURCE Ariat International, Inc.