EY announces finalists for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 in the Central Midwest region

ST. LOUIS, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- EY today announced the finalists for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 in the Central Midwest program. 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 black-tie gala on June 19, 2014, at the Sheraton Overland Park hotel in Overland Park, Kansas.

The finalists, representing entrepreneurs from Missouri and Kansas, are:

• Steven St. Peter, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aratana Therapeutics, Inc. (Kansas City, Kansas)
• Adam Blake, CEO, Brightergy (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Greg Graves, Chairman, President & CEO, Burns & McDonnell (Kansas City, Missouri)
• John Pantanella, President and CEO, Chemline, Inc. (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Byron Thompson, Chairman of the Board, Country Club Bank (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Justin Siegel and Dan Siegel, President, Deli Star Corporation (Fayetteville, Illinois)
• Bob Taylor, Chairman and CEO, Executive AirShare Corporation (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Michael Kulp, President/CEO, KBP Foods (Overland Park, Kansas)
• Robert O'Loughlin, CEO, Lodging Hospitality Management (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Dan Schuppan, President, MBS Textbook Exchange, Inc. (Columbia, Missouri)
• James Spencer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Media Convergence Group, Inc. (Columbia, Missouri)
• Alaina Macia, President and CEO, MTM, Inc. (Lake St. Louis, Missouri)
• Mike Valentine, VP Talent & Culture, Netsmart Technologies (Overland Park, Kansas)
• Carmen Jacob, President/CEO, NextGen Information Services, Inc. (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Nathaniel Hagedorn, CEO, Northpoint Development Co. (Riverside, Missouri)
• Smitty Belcher, Chief Executive Officer, P1 Group, Inc. (Lenexa, Kansas)
• David Payne, President, PayneCrest Electric, Inc. (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Anthony Sansone, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Sansone Group (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Andy Fromm, Chairman/CEO, Service Management Group, Inc. (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Cris Burnam, President, StorageMart (Columbia, Missouri)
• Lisa Nichols, CEO/Co-Founder, Technology Partners, Inc. (Chesterfield, Missouri)
• Els Thermote, CEO, TVH Parts Co. (Olathe, Kansas)

Now in its 28th year, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries throughout the world. 

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Program.  Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 15, 2014. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are sponsored in the United States by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America. In the Central Midwest region, sponsors include Smart Business, Lockton Companies, Enterprise Bank and Trust, Armstrong Teasdale, Stinson Leonard Street, Merrill Corporation and CommonGround.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™
EY 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 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY's Strategic Growth Markets
EY's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practices guide leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary teams of elite professionals provide 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. EY 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 @EY_Growth.

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

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This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP