Finalists for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in Midwest Region Announced
Chicago, IL, April 30, 2009 - Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce today the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award in the Midwest. This group of exceptional entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of regional business, academic and community leaders. Winners will be announced at a gala event on Friday, June 26, 2009 at the Hilton Chicago.
“For the past 23 years, Ernst & Young has honored outstanding entrepreneurs through our Entrepreneur Of The Year program,” said Randy Tavierne, Ernst & Young Partner and Midwest Strategic Growth Markets Leader. “These entrepreneurs make a tremendous difference within our communities and for our larger economy. We thank them for the positive impact they’ve had in the Midwest.”
The Midwest program recognizes companies based in Illinois, Indiana and West Michigan. The finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2009 are:
- Chris Dalton, President and CEO, Acquity Group (Chicago, IL)
- Ira Boots, Chairman and CEO, Berry Plastics Corporation (Evansville, IN)
- Ira Boots, Chairman and CEO, Berry Plastics Corporation (Evansville, IN)
- Bill Capraro, President and CEO, CIMCO Communications (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)
- Terrence Duffy, Executive Chairman, and Craig Donohue, CEO, CME Group (Chicago, IL)
- Dan Moceri, CEO and Co-Founder, and Greg Lernihan, COO and Co-Founder, Convergint Technologies LLC (Schaumburg, IL)
- David Lindsey, President and CEO, DEFENDER Direct, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)
- Deborah Wood, Founder and CEO, DWA Healthcare Communications Group (Carmel, IN)
- Douglas Waggoner, CEO, Echo Global Logistics (Chicago, IL)
- Karen Jensen, CEO, Farnsworth Group, Inc. (Bloomington, IL)
- Lisa Johnson, President and CEO, and Farzad Shahsavarani, COO, Gourmet Kitchens, Inc. (Chicago, IL)
- James Fabris, President and COO, Hurco Companies, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)
- John Udelhofen, CEO, Laurus Technologies (Itasca, IL)
- Tzau-Jin Chung, President and CEO, Navman Wireless Holdings (Glenview, IL)
- Elwood Richard, Founder and Chairman of the Board, NOW Foods (Bloomingdale, IL)
- John Rutledge, Founder, President and CEO, Oxford Capital Group LLC (Chicago, IL)
- Robert Pasin, President and CEO, Radio Flyer (Chicago, IL)
- Gregg Kaplan, CEO, Redbox (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)
- Cary Chessick, President and CEO, Restaurant.com (Arlington Heights, IL)
- Daniel Arnold, President, Owner and Founder, Road Ranger LLC (Rockford, IL)
- Michael Zielinski, CEO, Royal Buying Group (Lisle, IL)
- Smita Shah, President, SPAAN Tech, Inc. (Chicago, IL)
- Bharat Patel, Chairman and CEO, Sun Companies (Indianapolis, IN)
- Michael Simmons, President and CEO, T2 Systems, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)
- Bruce Leon, President, Tandem HR (Oak Brook, IL)
- Edmund Scanlan, Founder and CEO, Total Attorneys (Chicago, IL)
- Lynelle Kirby, CEO and President, Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.
(Bolingbrook, IL)
- Dale Pollak, Founder and Chairman of the Board, vAuto, Inc. (Oak Brook, IL)
Regional award winners will be eligible for consideration in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 national program. Winners in numerous national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 14, 2009. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.
This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 23rd anniversary. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards are pleased to have SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as national sponsors.
Regional sponsors for the Midwest program include Clifton Gunderson, Smart Business magazine and DeVry University. Locally, the program is sponsored by Winston & Strawn LLP and Grand Valley State University.
Contact information
To make reservations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards gala on June 26, 2009, contact Debbie Holloran at +1 312 879 5744 or debbie.holloran@ey.com. Tickets are $200 per person. For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.
About Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards Program
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the unique way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 135,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential. For more information, please visit www.ey.com.
About CIMCO Communications, Inc.
CIMCO Communications has been providing integrated communication services to businesses in the Chicago area for 24 years. CIMCO combines its scalable, stable data and voice infrastructure with technologically diverse expertise to provide a broad suite of products and services. Customers experience the passion for extraordinary service in the responsible, knowledgeable and person-to-person way CIMCO meets their needs. For more information, see www.CIMCO.net.