Finalists for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2010 awards in Houston and Gulf Coast Area announced
Houston, 17 May 2010 – Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award in Houston and Gulf Coast Area. This group of outstanding entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of regional business, academic and community leaders. Award recipients will be revealed at a gala event on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at the Omni Houston Hotel.
“Entrepreneurship is especially vital as our nation recovers from recession,” said Doug Bogart, Program Director of the Entrepreneur Of The Year® program in the Houston and Gulf Coast Area. “These finalists create jobs in our area, encouraging healthy growth, development and innovation in the local economy.”
The Houston and Gulf Coast Area finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2010 are:
- David Blossman, Abita Brewing Company, LLC
- John Ryan, Alexander Ryan Marine & Safety Co.
- John Hoffman, Black Elk Energy, LLC
- Joel Bomgar, Bomgar Corporation
- Wayne Risoli, Chamberlain Hrdlicka
- Charles Chanaratsopon, Charming Charlie
- Arun Pasrija, CHR Solutions, Inc.
- James Taylor, CHR Solutions, Inc.
- Mark Carr, Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation
- William Transier, Endeavour International Corporation
- James Hamilton, GlobaLogix
- Bruce Streeter, Gulfmark Offshore Inc.
- John Rynd, Hercules Offshore, Inc.
- Harold Pontez, HPI, LLC
- Mike Donovan, HTS Texas
- Veronica Edwards, InGenesis, Inc.
- Curtis Huff, Intervale Capital
- Jerry Lasco, Lasco Enterprises, LLC
- Cindy Marion, Marion, Montgomery, Inc.
- Edelmiro Muniz, MEI Technologies, Inc.
- Kemal Farid, Merrick Systems, Inc.
- James Bodenstedt, MUY Brands, LLC
- Ned Schwing, National Cardiovascular Partners
- Robert Schwing, National Cardiovascular Partners
- Enrique Loya, OTC Global Holdings
- Dr. Stewart Pisecco, Psychological Software Solutions, Inc.
- Dilip Bhargava, SDB Trade International, LP
- Stephen Johnston, SmartSynch, Inc.
- Keith Maxwell, Spark Energy Gas & Electricity
- George Balogh, SpectraSensors, Inc.
- Robert Zlotnik, StarTex Power
- Marcie Zlotnik, StarTex Power
- Justin Brownhill, The Receivables Exchange
- Russell Braden, Thermal & Mechanical Equipment, LLC
- Kenneth Meador, TWR Lighting, Inc.
- Juuhi Ahuja, Wise Men Consultants
The Entrepreneur Of The Year® program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June, leading up to the national awards in November. Additionally, venture-backed companies that win an Entrepreneur Of The Year® award regionally are also eligible for the Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national level. The overall national US winner then moves on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in June 2011.
This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 24th 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. Entrepreneurs are nominated and evaluated by those in each region, including local business, academic and community leaders.
All regional honorees are invited to the national Entrepreneur Of The Year® gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 13, 2010 in Palm Springs, California. The gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. For more information on the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP Americas and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
In the Houston and Gulf Coast Area, local sponsors include Fullbright & Jaworski L.L.P., Lockton Companies, Bowne, Solomon Edwards Group LLC, Smart Business Magazine and Pierpont Communications.
Contact information
To make reservations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards banquet on Thursday, June 24th, 2010, contact Genevieve Salazar, Program Manager, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Houston and Gulf Coast Area, at +1 713 750 8382 or email Genevieve Salazar by June 4, 2010. 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® 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 144,000 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.
Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited located in the U.S.
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