New York, NY, MAY 16, 2011 - Mr. Phillip Zepter, President and founder of Zepter International and world renowned philanthropist, accepted the prestigious international Ellis Island Medal of Honor 2011 at a ceremony on Ellis Island in New York on May 7, 2011. Mr. Zepter was chosen from thousands of nominees for his personal and professional philanthropic contributions. Furthermore, Zepter International’s Mission of Health was recognized for benefiting not only the health of millions of people worldwide but improving society as a whole.
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is awarded to outstanding individuals who exemplify a life dedicated to community service, preserving and celebrating the history of their ancestry, building relationships between cultural groups, or sharing their personal or professional achievements for the greater good.
“The Ellis Island Medal of Honor celebrates the richness and diversity of American life and symbolizes its enduring spirit. The immigrants who formed the backbone of the nation passed Ellis Island in their quest for freedom of speech, religion and economic opportunity. The Ellis Island Medal of Honor pays homage not only to individuals, but to the pluralism and democracy that have enabled the ancestry groups to maintain their cultural diversity,” said NECO Executive Director Rosemarie Taglione.
The United States Senate and House of Representatives have both officially passed resolutions recognizing the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, which ranks among this country’s most prestigious awards. Each year, Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients are listed in the Congressional Record, honoring those who have made enduring contributions to the nation and to the world. 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the award’s history. As an international recipient, it is an additional honor for Mr. Zepter.
By receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Mr. Zepter joins the ranks of only five non-U.S. citizens who have been honored, including Tony Blair, along with former American Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford and famous philanthropic individuals such as Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Mickey Mantle, Gloria Estefan, Donald Trump, Lee Iacocca, and Barbara Walters.
“Philip Zepter’s story is an uplifting one of hard work, self-belief and a willingness to take risks. From modest beginnings in 1986, his products are now made in Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and are available in more than 60 countries worldwide.” The Monaco Times, 2009.
Mr. Zepter has built a multi-billion dollar business through more than 25 years of true dedication and hard work. Starting with a brilliant idea of providing high quality luxury products that enhance people’s lifestyles and enable them to live longer, Zepter International enjoyed phenomenal growth over the years. Today Zepter International employs over 130,000 people worldwide, while a Zepter presentation starts at least every 10 seconds somewhere in the world and over 760,000,000 products have been sold to more than 80,000,000 satisfied users worldwide.
Mr. Zepter’s family possesses a substantial background in both entrepreneurial and not-for-profit business ventures, and Mr. Zepter has stayed true to these values. “Social responsibility is something that is built into the DNA of Zepter Group. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year the company has always placed at the center of all its business goals the idea of making the world a better place,” said Mr. Philip Zepter.
For many years Mr. Philip Zepter has generously supported the world’s biggest sport events, such as the prestigious F1 world championships (2000 - 2010) including the famous Grand Prix of Monaco, FIBA official tournaments (2003 -2011) as well as Ice Hockey World Championships (2001 - 2011), always with the same ideal: Zepter – Live Longer.
He is also the Founder of the Zepter philosophy, a philosophy of healthy living and perfection aimed at maintaining the health of present and future generations and solving ecological problems.
“Until now, we haven’t been aware of how many lives we saved and how many were prolonged. Even we were astonished to learn that those are in the millions. So that is why we have to triple our presence and our activities. Today, more than ever, the world needs Zepter’s Mission of Health,” said Mr. Phillip Zepter.
In 1994, Mr. Zepter and his wife started the Philip and Madlena Zepter Foundation, an organization committed to providing scholarships, supporting humanitarian work and benefiting thousands of people in desperate need. The Foundation funds are going go toward grants for young talent, sponsorship of scientific, technical projects and cultural achievements like the Madlenianum Opera House and Theatre, the first privately built opera house in Europe since the Second World War. The Foundation is also encourages and promotes cultural and artistic contributions through Artzept, which awards generous prizes and exhibition opportunities to young artists and designers. “It is one thing to believe in good and useful design. It’s quite another thing to actually invest in it for the pure pleasure of seeing talent emerge and thrive,” said Madlena Zepter.
It is testament to Philip Zepter’s vision that the very social issues he has been addressing, namely nutrition and well-being through the promotion of a health lifestyle, have become even more relevant today.
Additional awards received by Mr. Zepter include the influential international Golden Mercury Award (awarded 5 times as the leader in Italian industrial progress); Cavaliere del Lavoro della Repubblica Italiana Award for outstanding services rendered to Italian Industry and the Community, the B.I.D. Gold Award for Quality, Leadership, Technology and Innovation and the Silver Medal of Honor of the Russian Academy of Science for contributions to medicine and the protection of public health.
Mr. Zepter’s commitment helping those in need is evident through the amount of lives touched by his work with regular, significant donations to a whole host of international charities and foundations, some of which include the International Red Cross, UNICEF and Save the Children. In Madagascar there is a Zepter village consisting of Elementary and High schools, Health Clinic and over 100 houses. Even one planet outside our solar system has been named after him.
Receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor adds to this long list of accomplishments and reflects the true colors of his philanthropic endeavors.
www.neco.org
Philip Zepter,
President and founder of Zepter International,
joins the ranks of only five non-U.S.citizens
who have been awarded the prestigious
Ellis Island Medal of Honor 2011
for his genuine philanthropic support
and unique Mission of Health
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A HIGHER IDEAL
WE ARE PROUD OF OUR PRODUCTS.
WE ARE PROUD OF THEIR SUPERIOR QUALITY, STRIKING DESIGN AND OUR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.
WE ENJOY OUR WORK.
WE RESPECT THOSE WHO WORK WITH US.
THERE IS ONE, MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE BEHIND ALL OF OUR ACTIONS:
YOUR HEALTH AND BEAUTY.
Philip Zepter
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