CLEVELAND, Ohio — National Automotive Experts (NAE/NWAN) has been recognized by Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management as one of their Weatherhead 100 award winners for 2017, the company announced.

Established in 1988, the Weatherhead 100 Awards honor the top 100 companies who are the best example of leadership, growth and success within Northeast Ohio. Companies that make the list are recognized for their percentage of revenue growth over the last 5 years. In order to qualify, companies must have net sales of at least $100,000 in year one, and over $1 million by year five. Winning companies must have also employed a minimum of 16 people full-time in the last year.

“It is humbling to be to be a company honored by the Weatherhead School of Management with this award,” said Kelly Price, CEO of NAE/NWAN. “We built our company intent on making a difference, not only in our business relationships, but in the lives of our associates and with everyone we interact with on a daily basis.

“Part of our culture is an environment of constant gratitude, as our team works tirelessly at raising money for the Cleveland Christian Home, along with many other charities and organizations around Northeast Ohio and throughout the country,” Price added. “I believe this culture has shaped our company into the organization it has become today, and I am grateful to my entire team for working together to achieve this level of success.”

NAE/NWAN was presented with their award on November 30, 2017 at a black-tie gala, hosted the Weatherhead School of Management at Hilton Cleveland Downtown, to honor the 30th Annual Weatherhead 100. The event was presented by BDO, along with several other companies throughout Northeast, Ohio. Over 700 of Northeast Ohio’s business leaders gathered to celebrate the premier companies in the region.

“We are committed, not only to running a successful business, but also changing people’s lives in the process,” said David Neuenschwander, president of NAE/NWAN. “We cannot have the mission-centric culture, or our success, without a strong commitment from our team. I make it a point to challenge our team to think differently and not to accept the status quo. I believe the commitment to our mission that our associates demonstrate on a daily basis attributes to us being where we are as a company today.”

“This year’s winners reflect the evolution and diversification of our region’s economy in the last 30 years,” said Michael Goldberg, an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, which compiles the annual ranking. “Their success is an endorsement of Northeast Ohio’s ability to grow companies and encourage entrepreneurship, which are essential to our economic future.”