24 business leaders with companies located in the Carolinas have been selected by an independent judging panel for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2011 Carolinas awards. These 23 finalists and youth honoree, along with The Lifetime Achievement Honoree, James E. Rogers, will be honored at a black-tie awards gala on Thursday, 9 June at the Westin Charlotte in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.
| Lifetime achievement honoree |
| | Jim Rogers Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Duke Energy Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Finalists |
| | Abe Reichental President and Chief Executive Officer and Chuck Hull CTO, EVP & Founder 3D Systems Corporation Rock Hill, South Carolina |
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| Burney Jennings Jr. President and Chief Executive Officer Biscuitville, Inc. Greensboro, North Carolina |
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| Ted Rollins Co-Founder and Michael Hartnett Co-Founder Campus Crest Communities Charlotte, North Carolina |
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| William McMahon President and Chief Executive Officer CoaLogix, Inc. Charlotte, North Carolina |
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| Tom Coble President and Chief Executive Officer Coble Trench Safety, Inc. Greensboro, North Carolina |
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| Terry Brown Chief Executive Officer Edens & Avant Columbia, South Carolina |
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| Dale Freudenberger President and Co-Founder FLS Energy Asheville, North Carolina |
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| Madhu Beriwal President and Chief Executive Officer IEM Durham, North Carolina |
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| Steve Parker Jr. Managing Partner & Co-Founder and Jeff Adelson-Yan Co-Founder Levelwing Mount Pleasant, South Carolina |
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| Neal Fowler Chief Executive Officer and Joseph DeSimone Founder, Professor at UNC-CH and NC State Liquidia Technologies Inc. Research Triangle Park, North Carolina |
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| W. Richard Staub III President and Chief Executive Officer Novella Clinical Inc. Durham, North Carolina |
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| Gary Robinette President and Chief Executive Officer Ply Gem Holdings, Inc. Cary, North Carolina |
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| Colin Shannon President and Chief Executive Officer PRA International Raleigh, North Carolina |
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| Ric Elias Chief Executive Officer and Founder Red Ventures Fort Mill, South Carolina |
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| Jesse Lipson Chief Executive Officer ShareFile Raleigh, North Carolina |
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| Richard Byrne Chief Executive Officer TowerCo Cary, North Carolina |
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| Peter Gasca Jr. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer and Rhett Power Co-Founder and President Wild Creations Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
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| Stephen Light President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Xerium Technologies, Inc. Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Youth entrepreneur of the year |
| Jerome Smalls The Handykid Charleston, South Carolina |