Tom Gildred is a multi-generation San Diegan, visionary entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Selected as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year™, he has gained recognition both nationally and locally for founding and growing two ventures: FMT Consultants, a thriving technology provider, and Emerald Textiles which sold in July of 2018 in one of the most significant transactions in its industry.

Today Tom serves the regional and national community as a speaker and consultant advising businesses on successful growth, acquisition and exit strategies. He is passionate about making a difference and supports businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout our region.

Gildred founded Emerald with the vision of creating a healthcare laundry that was environmentally conscious while providing higher cleanliness standards and better service. So Emerald was created in a facility that went from an empty shell to a fully functioning high tech laundering plant within six short months, offering the southern California area the highest quality in commercial healthcare laundry services.

Emerald Textiles advanced the industry by providing higher levels of professionalism, cleanliness, and compliance with the end goal of high customer satisfaction and protection from Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) through linen purity. By using the most technologically advanced, water-efficient equipment available, the facility saves an estimated 120,000,000 gallons of water and over 750,000 therms of natural gas for Southern California annually. Under Gildred’s leadership, Emerald served the majority of large healthcare networks in San Diego and has expanded its service area to Orange County, Los Angeles and along the corridor to Palm Desert with a second location in Riverside. Following the sale, the acquirer re-branded all its existing facilities with the Emerald name to garner the positive brand recognition built by Emerald Textiles.
Mr. Gildred is the winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award™ locally and has twice been a national finalist. After receiving those honors from Ernst & Young, he served as the lead judge over the past 6 years on the panel that selects the annual winners. He brings significant business acumen to the company and serves on numerous boards of directors benefitting local companies and non-profits, including past president of the board of The San Diego Museum of Art as well as the San Diego State University, College of Business Administration Board of Directors.

Mr. Gildred founded and is Chairman of the Board of FMT Consultants, a Microsoft Gold Certified business software firm which has received the Microsoft Partner of the Year Award and was named one of San Diego’s “Best Places to Work” in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016.

The technology firm has also been ranked the No. 5 Technology Solutions Provider company and the ‘Fast 150’ by the San Diego Business Journal in 2016. In addition to these awards, FMT Consultants has been recognized with the Small Business Award for “Customer Service” and the “Business is Roaring” award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, respectively.

Tom is also on the Board of Directors for The Gildred Companies. He was the 2016 Chair of the American Heart Association’s Heart and Stroke Walk and he is the Treasurer for the Plaza de Panama Committee led by Irwin Jacobs who is the Chairman of the committee.

Mr. Gildred was a founding member of Vistage Group 3080 and has served on the Vistage Member Advisory Committee. He is a founding member of the Downtown San Diego Breakfast Rotary Club, a past member of the Board of Directors of the Mission Valley YMCA and a past member of the San Diego Software Industry Council. He won the Millennium Award from the Friends of Balboa Park and was named “Most Admired CEO” by the San Diego Business Journal. For more information about Tom’s board and civic involvement, please click here.