Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® 2011 Northeast Ohio Finalists Announced

Cleveland, OH, May 11, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Northeast Ohio finalists. This group of outstanding entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous winners of the award, leading CEOs, private capital investors and other regional business leaders. The winners will be revealed at a gala event on June 16, 2011 at Playhouse Square.

“These finalists create jobs in our area, encouraging community development and innovation in our broader economy,” said Lee Thomas, Ernst & Young Partner and Entrepreneur Of The Year Northeast Ohio Program Director. “No matter who wins on June 16, we know one thing for sure – Northeast Ohio is enriched by every one of these finalists.”

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 Northeast Ohio finalists are:

Joseph Zeno
ACS Industries, Inc.

Joel Adelman
Advance Payroll Funding, Ltd.

Jeffrey Friedman
Associated Estates Realty Corporation

James Pshock
Bravo Wellness, LLC

Bernie Moreno
Collection Auto Group

Jonathan Ransom
Environmental Management
Specialists, Inc.

Scot Lowry
Fathom Online Marketing

Paul Greig
FirstMerit Corporation

John Palazzo
Frontline International, Inc.

David Gilbert
Greater Cleveland Sports Commission

Dennis Allen
Hattie Larlham

David Simpson
Hospice of the Western Reserve

Dennis Nash
Carl Young
Kenan Advantage Group

Roy Church
Lorain County Community College

Scott Balogh
Steve Balogh
Mar-Bal, Inc.

Dennis Stripe
OrthoHelix Surgical Designs, Inc.

Robert Ruhlman
Preformed Line Products

C. Kevin McComas
Remington Products Company

Barry Cik
Safe for Home Products, LLC

Mark Sandridge
Sandridge Food Corporation

Frederick DiSanto
The Ancora Group

Jeffrey Evans
The Will-Burt Company

Kris Snyder
Vox Mobile

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 Entrepreneur Of The Year Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national level. The overall National US winner then moves on to compete for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June.

This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program celebrates its 25th anniversary. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities and more than 50 countries throughout the world. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

All regional honorees are invited to the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 12, 2011, 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, which will be held November 9–13, 2011. 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 pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a national sponsor.

In Northeast Ohio, sponsors include Charter One, McDonald Hopkins LLC, and Smart Business Network.

Contact information
To make reservations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards gala on June 16, 2011, contact Susan Snyder of Ernst & Young at +1 216 583 1334 or susan.snyder2@ey.com by June 1, 2011. Tickets are $200 per person or $1,800 for seating for 10. For more information about the program, please visit ey.com/us/neo_eoy.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the 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, 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 140 cities in more than 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.

Worldwide, our 141,000 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.

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 operating in the US. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a US client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

Contact name: Rodger Roeser
Company: The Eisen Agency
Tel: 859.291.4302
E-mail: RRoeser@TheEisenAgency.com

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