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Corporate Leaders Receive Sixteenth Annual Emerald Asset Management "E-3 Awards"

SSSS, CUBI, OLLI | February 9, 2016

Customers Bancorp, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and GSV Capital Executives Recognized

The chief executive officers of Customers Bancorp (NYSE: CUBI), Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings (NASDAQ: OLLI), and GSV Capital (NASDAQ: GSVC) have been named as the recipients of the sixteenth annual “E-3 Awards,” presented by Emerald Asset Management at the 23^rd annual Emerald Groundhog Day Investment Forum, held in Philadelphia on February 3, 2016.

Joseph Besecker, President of Emerald Asset Management said, “We created this unique award to recognize leaders who epitomize the qualities that are inherent in the most successful business leaders – qualities that reflect an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to excellence,” adding, “The award’s name – E-3 – reflects these criteria: the Emerald Entrepreneurial and Excellence Award.” Joseph Garner, Director of Research for Emerald, said, “These leaders have taken risks and fueled innovation. They have created jobs and built companies. They have bested their competitors and rewarded their employees and shareholders. They are leaders in every sense of the word.”

Through an intensive multi-faceted process, Emerald’s team of research analysts and portfolio managers identified corporate leaders who have demonstrated:

A creative “outside the box” approach to corporate achievement;
An entrepreneurial approach that maximizes human initiative;
A corporate culture that promotes personal and corporate excellence;
A demonstrated record of accomplishment: creating jobs, stimulating growth, and enhancing shareholder value; and
An ability to effectively identify and adapt cutting-edge technologies and processes.

The 2016 winners of the E-3 Award are:

Public Company Executive Award:

Jay S. Sidhu, Chairman and CEO, Customers Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: CUBI)

Philanthropy Award:

Mark L. Butler, President and CEO, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OLLI)

Green Company Executive Award:

Michael T. Moe, Chairman, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, GSV Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: GSVC)

Joseph W. Garner, Emerald’s Director of Research, noted that Mr. Sidhu “Raised $13.6 million to take a controlling stake in the troubled New Century Bank, a $265 million-asset, five-branch institution based in Phoenixville, PA, and after several acquisitions, a name change and impressive organic growth, Customers is now an $8.4 billion asset business bank.” Mr. Garner also said that Mr. Moe and his team at GSV “are leaders in Sustainability Investing – one of GSVC’s five key ‘Megatrends,’ founded GSV Sustainability Partners that is focused on pioneering Sustainability as a Service, and has been an active investor in several leading companies in the area of sustainability, including Silver Spring Networks, Control4, Bloom Energy and Solexel.” He added that Mark Butler has been a model philanthropist through the Mark L. Butler Foundation, which focuses on providing underprivileged children with opportunities to succeed in life and his role as chairman of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.

Presented by Emerald Asset Management, Groundhog Day Investment Forum sponsors include Pepper Hamilton LLP, Sturdivant & Co., Janney Capital Markets, Trout, Ebersole & Groff LLP, Boenning & Scattergood, Raymond James and Greentree. The first Emerald Investment Forum was held in 1994 and has grown to become the definitive yearly kick-off conference for investors focusing on small- and mid-cap companies. Next year’s Emerald Groundhog Day Investment Forum is tentatively scheduled for February 2, 2017 in Philadelphia.

Founded in 1991, Emerald Asset Management, Inc. is a diversified investment management company that operates through its subsidiaries Emerald Advisers Inc., Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust, Emerald Separate Account Management LLC, Emerald Direct Lending Advisers LLC and EmStone Advisers LLC. Assets managed by these companies totaled approximately $4.2 billion as of December 31, 2015. “Driven by Research,” Emerald employs an intense fundamental, research-focused investment philosophy and focuses primarily on growth and value oriented equity investing and income oriented investing. Emerald and its subsidiaries maintain offices in King of Prussia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Ohio and Oceanside, California. Its global headquarters is located in Leola, PA.

Emerald Asset Management, Inc.
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