Ernst & Young Announces Finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2012 Award in the Central Midwest

ST. LOUIS, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP today announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2012 Award in the Central Midwest. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Award winners will be announced at a special gala on June 5, 2012 at The Sheraton Overland Park Hotel in Kansas City, Kansas.

The finalists are:

• Steve Lasky -- Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc., Ames, IA
• David Karandish -- Answers, St. Louis, MO
• John Eulich -- ASPEQ Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, MO
• Len Rodman -- Black & Veatch, Overland Park, KS
• Cory Wiedel and Ryan Zink -- Complete Nutrition, Omaha, NE
• Benny Lee -- Duracomm Corp., Kansas City, MO
• Patrick Perry -- Genesys, Kansas City, MO
• Dawn Ainger -- Genova Technologies, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Greg Gragg -- Gragg Advertising, Kansas City, MO
• Mark Rutter -- GROUP360 Worldwide, St. Louis, MO
• Joseph Melookaran, Mithra Amaran, David Brown, Raqib Huq, and Maria Will -- JMA Information Technology, Overland Park, KS
• Steve Carter -- Knight Hawk Coal, LLC, Percy, IL
• Kyle Krause -- Kum & Go, L.C., West Des Moines, IA
• Greg Brown -- Learfield Communications, Inc., Jefferson City, MO
• Larry Potterfield -- MidwayUSA, Columbia, MO
• Matt Miller -- MobileDemand, Hiawatha, IA
• Harry Herington -- NIC Inc., Olathe, KS
• Mary Quass -- NRG Media, LLC, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Robert Low -- Prime, Inc., Springfield, MO
• Jeff Stroburg and Daniel Oh -- Renewable Energy Group, Ames, IA
• Reggie Chandra -- Rhythm Engineering, Lenexa, KS
• Tom Kalishman and Jerry Shaw -- SAK Construction, LLC, O'Fallon, MO
• Lee Frickey -- Sizewise, Kansas City, MO
• Michael Vasquez -- St. Gregory Centers, Inc., Des Moines, IA
• Mike O'Neill, John Nickel, and Kevin Quigley -- Switch: Liberate Your Brand, St. Louis, MO
• David Faber -- Trans Ova Genetics, Sioux Center, IA
• Dan Reed -- UnitedLex Corporation, Overland Park, KS
• Doug Schukar -- USA Mortgage, St. Louis, MO
• Brant Bukowsky and Brock Bukowsky -- Veterans United Home Loans, Columbia, MO
• Jon Cook -- VML, Kansas City, MO
• Seth Burgett -- Yurbuds Sport Earphones, St. Louis, MO

Now in its 26th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year Program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 17, 2012. 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 LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored in the United States by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In the Central Midwest, sponsors include Armstrong Teasdale, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Faegre Baker Daniels, Lockton Companies, and Stinson Morrison Hecker.

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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 152,000 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 Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. 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.

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP