Justin Draplin of Fortified Solar named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Southeast finalist by EY US

Justin Draplin, CEO of Fortified Solar LLC, has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Southeast Award by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). 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 Justin Draplin among 35 finalists based on their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.

“It’s an honor to be recognized, but the reality is that this wouldn’t happen without the team,” says Justin Draplin. “We are grateful for the community support in the Greenville community and look forward to continuing to expand our operations in South Carolina. Our employees are top notch. We have people that believe in the company and support each other. Without them, we don’t have success.”

Founded in 2020, Fortified Solar provides custom-built steel solar panels, project development, and tax equity opportunities. The company serves commercial clients with its solar roof and connects them with high-tax-paying individuals and businesses to help monetize the benefits. The company has grown to over 30 employees and in April moved into a 150k sq. ft. manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in Greenville. Under Justin Draplin’s leadership, the company has achieved significant revenue and employment growth bringing financial benefits and jobs to the upstate.

Entrepreneur Of The Year honors 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 strengthen it for the future.

This year’s Southeast finalists represent Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee across all industries, including technology, consumer products, manufacturing, finance and more.

Regional award winners will be announced on June 18 during a special celebration in Charlotte, NC 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®, where high-growth CEOs, Fortune 1000 executives and investors converge to shape the future of business.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, SAP, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In the Southeast, sponsors also include VACO, LLC as the regional Platinum sponsor; ADP and King & Spalding as the regional Gold sponsors; and Babbit Bodner as the regional Silver sponsor.
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 national overall winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.

All in to shape the future with confidence.

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.