BERKELEY, Calif., June 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Annie's, Inc. announced EY awarded President John Foraker of Annie's, Inc. the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2015 Award in the Retail and Consumer Products category in Northern California. 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. Foraker was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a special gala event at the Fairmont, San Francisco on June 11.

"This award is a tremendous honor to me, my family and the entire Annie's team," said Foraker. "Annie's' success lies in the decision to do business differently. From our sustainable business practices to offering consumer products made with the best ingredients nature has to offer, we are committed to doing well by doing good."

Foraker came to Annie's in 1998, when the company's only offering was macaroni and cheese. His vision was to extend the loved brand into additional categories beyond pasta and to build real depth and leadership into the company's sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts. Today, Annie's offers a robust product portfolio with a variety of offerings in categories like snacks, meals, frozen, condiments, dressings and more. Annie's corporate culture remains strong as a leading purpose-driven brand in the industry.

After taking Annie's public on the NYSE in 2012, Foraker built the company to $200MM in revenues. In October 2014, General Mills acquired Annie's in an all cash transaction for $820MM. Foraker remains Annie's President and continues to leverage this partnership to strengthen product distribution and make organic and natural products more accessible to consumers.

As a Northern California award winner, Foraker is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 14, 2015. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

About Annie's
Annie's, Inc. (NYSE: BNNY) is a natural and organic food company that offers great-tasting products in large packaged food categories. Annie's products are made without artificial flavors, synthetic colors, and preservatives regularly used in many conventional packaged foods. Additionally, Annie's sources ingredients so as to avoid synthetic growth hormones and genetically modified food ingredients. Today, Annie's offers over 145 products and is present in over 35,000 retail locations in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1989, Annie's is committed to operating in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner. For more information, visit www.annies.com.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

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SOURCE Annie's Inc.