Tampa, Florida. - (May 14, 2013) - Ernst & Young LLP today announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 Award in Florida. Award recipients will be announced at a special gala event on Thursday, June 13 at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach.
"These finalists were selected from nearly 80 nominations by a panel of independent judges," says Greg Rosica, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Florida program partner. »More
"Collectively, these finalists grew their employment by 18 percent and their revenues by nearly 36 percent between 2010 and 2012."
Rosica adds that this award program recognizes high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Following are Florida finalists:
Central Florida:
- Emerging category - William "Glenn" Durie, vice president-engineering and cofounder; Andrew Uribe, vice president-business development and cofounder; Michael Wright, president and cofounder, Power Grid Engineering, Winter Springs
- Financial Services category - Kenneth E. LaRoe, chairman and chief executive officer, First Green Bank, Mount Dora
- Health Care category - Matt Leavitt, DO, founder and chief executive officer, Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, Maitland
- Health Care category - Mark Montgomery, president and chief executive officer, Axium Healthcare Pharmacy, Inc., Lake Mary
- Health Care category - Stephen C. Vogt, chief executive officer, BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy Services, Inc., Altamonte Springs
- Hospitality category - John Rivers, chef and chief executive officer, 4R Restaurant Group, Winter Park
South Florida:
- Distribution and Manufacturing category - Manuel R. Hernandez, president; Jorge L. Hernandez, Sr., vice president, Solo Printing, Inc., Miami
- Emerging category - Naomi Whittel, chief executive officer and founder, Reserveage Organics, Boca Raton
- Family Business category - Diego Valera, cofounder; Vanessa Valera Nolte, cofounder, Distrivalto USA, INC, Miami
- Family Business category - Richard Weissman, president, The Learning Experience, Boca Raton
- Financial Services category - Marc Glazer, president, chief executive officer and cofounder, Business Financial Services, Coral Springs
- Hospitality category - John Kunkel, chief executive officer and founder, 50 Eggs, Inc., Miami
- Retail and Consumer Products category - Mario Murgado, president and chief executive officer, Brickell Motors, Miami
- Retail and Consumer Products category - Matthew K. Smith, chief executive officer, Shoes For Crews, LLC, West Palm Beach
- Services category - Philip Anson, Jr., chief executive officer, STS Holdings., Inc. Jensen Beach
- Services category - Alberto Daire, president and cofounder; David Hernandez, chief executive officer and cofounder, Liberty Power, Fort Lauderdale
- Services category - Michael I. Kaufman, president and chief executive officer, Kaufman Lynn Construction, Boca Raton
West Central Florida:
- Distribution and Manufacturing category - Crystal Morris, president, Gator Cases, Inc., Lutz
- Distribution and Manufacturing category - R. Charles Murray, chief executive officer, PPi Technologies Group/Redi-2-DrinQ Group, Sarasota
- Emerging category - Michael Kosloske, president and chief executive officer, Health Insurance Innovations, Tampa
- Family Business category - Wayne Johnson, chief executive officer, Accuform Manufacturing, Inc., Brooksville
- Financial Services category - Trevor Burgess, chief executive officer, C1 Bank, Saint Petersburg
- Hospitality category - Enrique Silva, president and chief executive officer, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., Tampa
- Retail and Consumer Products category - Norbert Donelly, chairman, Tervis, North Venice
- Technology category - Crystal Culbertson, chief executive officer, Crystal Clear Technologies, Saint Petersburg
- Technology category - Paul Demirdjian, chief executive officer, Jagged Peak, Tampa
- Technology category - Dan Doyle, Jr., president and chief executive officer, DEX Imaging, Tampa
Now in its 27th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program has expanded globally to recognize company builders in more than 140 cities and 50 countries throughout the world.
Regional award recipients go on to compete at the national level. Award recipients in several national categories, as well as the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year overall ward winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on Nov. 16, 2013. 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.
- Sponsors
- Founded and produced by Ernst & Young, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Florida platinum sponsors include Carlton Fields, Fifth Third Bank, Tribridge and Vaco; silver sponsors RFB Communications Group and Scherzer International and media sponsor Smart Business Network.
- About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year
- Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award recognizes the significant contributions of entrepreneurs who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.
- About Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets practice
- Ernst & Young LLP's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary team of elite professionals provides perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter at EY_Growth.
- About Ernst & Young
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