DEARBORN — Ali Saad was only 16 when he started his own company. The 22-year-old has come a long way in such a short amount of time. Last month Saad, a Fordson High School graduate attended a ceremony at the White House in Washington D.C. on behalf of General Fuels Company which he founded and is located in Dearborn. 

Saad: “I can assure you that our great city of Dearborn, our community, and the Republic of Lebanon was shining today in our nation’s capital.”

He was named as an honoree on the 2012 Empact100 list by Empact, an organization that focuses on making entrepreneurship a viable career option for everyone around the world. The list was finalized by the 2012 Empact Academy. Members of the Academy are among the United States’ leading young entrepreneurs. 

Now in its second year, the Empact100 recognized General Fuels Company as being among the United States’ “Top 100 Companies Started by Young Entrepreneurs,” during the ceremony Sep. 28. 

While in Washington Saad had lunch with the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and advisors from President Barack Obama’s Administration. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranked Saad’s company as one of the top 10, of the 100 companies being honored by Empact.  

“It was with great honor that I accepted this award on behalf of our friends and family, our community and the State of Michigan. It was an excellent experience where I was able to show some of the  top CEO’s, executives, entrepreneurs and officials where I came from, and what we as a community are capable in achieving,” Saad said. 

“Additionally, I can assure you that our great city of Dearborn, our community, and the Republic of Lebanon was shining today in our nation’s capital.” 

The Empact100 list is comprised of the top 100 companies in the Empact Showcase, a compilation of the United States’ leading entrepreneurs who are age 30 and under, and whose annual revenues or operating budgets (for non-profits) are more than $100,000. In 2012, the companies on the Empact Showcase contributed more than 8,000 jobs to the economy, and controlled $1 billion in revenue.

“The annual Empact100 and Empact Showcase are both a testament to the impact that entrepreneurs are making on our economy, and an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Sarah Green, co-Founder, Empact100. 

“We are proud of all of the 2012 Empact 100 honorees and pleased to support them by celebrating the spirit, dedication and hard work that has made them successful entrepreneurs.”

General Fuels Company is an oil, gas and construction equipment dealer here. It was founded in 2008. The oil and gas equipment division focuses primary on markets in theUnited Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and now opening in Qatar. In partnership with Gulf Gas of the United Arab Emirates, their operations span from commercial to residential projects in Dubai and abroad, supplying some of the most innovative products and solutions related to the field of propane gas.