Iselin, NJ, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ernst & Young LLP today announced that Jim Kras, CEO of Edible Garden AG Incorporated (“Edible Garden” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: EDBL, EDBLW) was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 New Jersey Award finalist. Now in its 38th year, Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive business award for audacious leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize sectors and have a transformational impact on lives. Over the past four decades, the program has recognized the daring entrepreneurs with big ideas and bold actions that reshape our world.

Jim Kras was one of the regional entrepreneurs selected as a finalist by an independent panel of judges. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

Mr. Kras stated, “I am honored to be named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 New Jersey Award. This recognition reflects not only a personal achievement but also the unwavering dedication and innovative spirit of the entire Edible Garden team. This year, we secured patents for our proprietary GreenThumb greenhouse system and our self-watering in-store display, underscoring our commitment to innovation. We believe this type of innovation appeals to the major retailers across the country that are carrying Edible Garden products. Our journey has always been about pushing the boundaries and redefining what's possible in our sector, and our team works hard to create a culture and community passionate about delivering the most delicious flavors to America's tables every day. Being recognized alongside such esteemed colleagues strengthens our resolve to keep advancing growth and making a meaningful impact within the industry. I am grateful for this opportunity and excited about the future possibilities for our Company."

Entrepreneur Of The Year honors many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to fortify it for the future.

Regional award winners will be announced on June 10 during a special celebration and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the National judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum^®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.

In addition to Entrepreneur Of The Year, EY US supports other entrepreneurs through the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program and the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network to help connect women founders and Black and Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurs, respectively, with the resources, network and access needed to unlock their full potential.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, Marsh USA, SAP and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In New Jersey, sponsors also include DLA Piper and Empire Valuation Consultants.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year® has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally.

The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year^® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About EY
EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital market.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

About Edible Garden®
Edible Garden AG Incorporated is a leader in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), locally grown, organic and sustainable produce and products backed by Zero-Waste Inspired® next generation farming. Offered at over 5,000 stores in the US, Edible Garden is disrupting the CEA and sustainability technology movement with its safety-in-farming protocols, use of sustainable packaging, patented GreenThumb software and self-watering in-store displays. The Company currently operates its own state-of-the-art greenhouses and processing facilities in Belvidere, New Jersey and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has a network of contract growers, all strategically located near major markets in the U.S. Its proprietary GreenThumb 2.0 patented (US Nos.: US 11,158,006 B1, US 11,410,249 B2 and US 11,830, 088 B2) software optimizes growing in vertical and traditional greenhouses while seeking to reduce pollution-generating food miles. Its proprietary patented (U.S. Patent No. D1,010,365) Self-watering display is designed to increase plant shelf life and provide an enhanced in-store plant display experience. Edible Garden is also a developer of ingredients and proteins, providing an accessible line of plant and whey protein powders under the Vitamin Way® and Vitamin Whey® brands. In addition, the Company offers a line of sustainable food flavoring products such as Pulp gourmet sauces and chili-based products.
For more information on Edible Garden go to https://ediblegardenag.com/.

Investor Contacts:
Crescendo Communications, LLC
212-671-1020
EDBL@crescendo-ir.com