HOUSTON, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Goran Haag, founder of Champion Fiberglass^®, has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Gulf South Award by Ernst & Young LLP. Now in its 41st year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program celebrates the bold leaders who disrupt markets through the world’s most ground-breaking companies, revolutionizing industries and uplifting communities. The program honors entrepreneurs whose innovations drive economic growth and help shape the future of business. 

An independent panel of judges selected finalists based on their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.

“Being named an Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist is a meaningful honor, and I see it as recognition of the people who have built Champion Fiberglass alongside me,” says Haag. “From starting the company in 1988 to rebuilding after significant challenges, including a fire in 2016, the goal has always been to deliver exceptional service, create a company where people can contribute and feel valued, innovate, and help move the industry forward. 

I am especially grateful to our employees, customers and manufacturer rep agency partners who have trusted Champion Fiberglass and supported the growth of the business. The company is built on serving customers with the highest-quality products and customer

satisfaction available in our industry. Our employees have truly helped shape a service-oriented, “family” culture, unified around a common goal. Whether producing conduit on the line or consulting on a sale or installation, they are inspired by our slogan, “Do More,” each striving in their roles to go above and beyond for customers and each other.” 

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Spring, Texas, Champion Fiberglass is the leading supplier of fiberglass conduit and strut to the industrial, electrical, and mechanical markets. With the most advanced production facility for manufacturing rigid fiberglass conduit in North America, the company’s proprietary high-speed winding process and high-temperature curing ovens are key to the consistency and quality of these versatile products.

The company has steadily grown to reach a number of milestones throughout the years. In 1989, Champion Fiberglass developed the first conduit from epoxy resins that had flame resistance and low smoke characteristics, meeting the most stringent codes and specifications. With the arrival of Champion Haz Duct^® (XW Type fiberglass conduit) in 2008, the company could now provide conduit for Class 1, Div 2 installations, per the National Electrical Code (NEC).

The company’s products support major industrial infrastructure construction segments including utilities, technology, roads and bridges, water and wastewater treatment, chemical and commercial. Champion Fiberglass doubled its capacity in 2020 with a new manufacturing line and after one year, that line was already running at capacity. Under Goran Haag’s leadership, production has quadrupled. The company currently operates 200,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space and has grown to 245 employees. It remains the only conduit-industry company to achieve ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 certifications, underscoring its commitment to quality, environmental responsibility, and occupational health and safety.

Entrepreneur Of The Year honors 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 strengthen it for the future.

This year’s Gulf South finalists represent across all industries, including technology, consumer products, manufacturing, and more. 

For more information, please visit championfiberglass.com 

Media Contact:

Heather Manes
Savage Brands on behalf of of Champion Fiberglass^®
210-885-4866 hmanes@savagebrands.com

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SOURCE Champion Fiberglass