Mr. Duran has been named among the Top 100 Influential and Powerful People in New Jersey was a finalist for the 2022 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
NORTH BERGEN, NJ, February 16, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Alexander "Mr. Duran" Duran has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Duran, chief executive officer of Duran Entities, is a well-known New Jersey entrepreneur with leading projects in the dining, health care, and education sectors. Among his most notable businesses are his restaurants, including Ventanas Restaurant and Lounge, a fine dining establishment recently ranked among the top 20 restaurants in the state, and Son Cubano Restaurant and Bar Lounge, an award-winning Cuban restaurant. Mr. Duran has been named among the Top 100 Influential and Powerful People in New Jersey was a finalist for the 2022 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
A natural leader, Mr. Duran's remarkable achievement lies in his ability to provide employment opportunities at all levels, ranging from managerial positions to service roles; at present, he oversees a team of 350 skilled and dedicated professionals who are committed to his organization's growth and success. What sets Mr. Duran apart from others is his management style, especially his emphasis on employee development and growth: he fosters a culture of learning and development and believes wholeheartedly in nurturing and empowering his staff to become future leaders. As a result, several of his entry-level employees have risen through the ranks to become managers, even developing their own training programs within the organization.
Born in the United States, Mr. Duran earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in hospitality and finance marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus in 1986. The achievement marked the first time anyone in his family had earned a college degree, and it remains a point of pride for Mr. Duran. Another notable accomplishment is the fact that his company, E.T.F. Services Freight Forwarding, was the largest import and export company into Central and South America from NYC.
Mr. Duran is nearing the launch of his next endeavor, Solaz Restaurant + Full Swing Golf Suites in Jersey City, with an expected grand opening in May 2024. Also on the horizon is the opening of a second location of Sowing Seed School, an early childhood development center serving 100 children ages birth to 5, that he founded alongside his wife Marilyn Duran, a career educator. Finally, Mr. Duran is excited to open Next Step Pediatric Therapy, a provider of occupational and physical therapy services, to be led by his daughter.
Outside of work, Mr. Duran enjoys spending time with his wife and their three children, Gabriella, Travis, and Tristan as well as skiing, playing tennis and golf, and working out. An active participant in the civic fabric of his community, he serves as chairman and foundation board member of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation Inc., is a member of Senator Menendez's finance committee, is an elder at the Hudson Church in Guttenberg, and held the role of president of Kiwanis International for 5 years.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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