EasyToys from Veendam won the 25th edition of the Groninger Entrepreneurship Award on November 30th. CEO Eric Idema received the prestigious award from Commissioner of the King René Paas. To add grandeur to the jubilee edition, the ceremony took place in the main hall of Martiniplaza, attended by nearly 900 guests. As a highlight, Arjen Lubach was a guest for an extensive interview. All attendees received a jubilee book afterward, containing photos and stories of all 25 winners. Campus Groningen, a proud partner of the GOP, extends heartfelt congratulations to Easytoys for the award!

"EasyToys is dedicated to normalizing sexuality, provides employment in a region where it's not always straightforward, and consciously chooses employment over extensive automation," stated Commissioner of the King René Paas explaining the jury's choice. Earlier, the jury chair, Deputy Henk Emmens, had said, "We are proud that the province of Groningen offers a good business climate for modern and rapidly growing online businesses like EasyToys, as well as for the other two online giants in the final: Onlineveilingmeester.nl and Wovar."

Big dream

Accepting the trophy and the first copy of the jubilee book on behalf of EasyToys, Eric Idema embraced and congratulated by the other two finalists. "Winning such a beautiful prize is amazing," said the CEO of nearly 500 employees. "I would like to invite my family and my employees on stage. Winning this prize is a tremendous recognition for all our employees and years of hard work. I'm immensely proud that people see how we stand as a company in the region! Although our products are already in supermarkets and in almost every bedroom, we still have a lot to do in Europe. Yet, my big dream remains America."

Thorough research

The jury doesn't rush in awarding the Groninger Entrepreneurship Award. After announcing the three finalists in late September, advisors from Rabobank, DeHaan Advocaten & Notarissen, and BDO Accountants & Advisors visited them. Subsequently, the jury visited to sense the atmosphere within the companies. Based on all the facts, figures, and experiences, the winner was ultimately selected.

Jury

This year, the jury for the Groninger Entrepreneurship Award consisted of Henk Emmens (jury chair and deputy of the province of Groningen), Albert Keizer (Next Generation Shipyards, winner 2021), Yeelen Knegtering (Klippa, winner 2022), Agnes Mulder (VNO-NCW, MKB Noord), Paul Schreuders (XPAR Vision), and Suzanne Snijder (Commercieele Club Groningen).

Image source and article: groningerondernemersprijs.nl