Press Releases

Charlotte, NC, May 5, 2011 — Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Carolinas 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 09 June 2011 at The Westin Charlotte.“These finalists create jobs in our area, encouraging community development and innovation in our broader economy,” said David Hood Entrepreneur Of The Year Carolinas Program Director. “No matter who wins on June 9, we know one thing for sure – the Carolinas is enriched by every one of these finalists.”

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 Carolinas finalists are:

Abraham Reichental
President & CEO
3D Systems Corporation

Charles Hull
CTO, EVP & Founder
3D Systems Corporation

Burney Jennings Jr.
President & CEO
Biscuitville, Inc.

Ted Rollins
Co-Founder
Campus Crest Communities

Michael Hartnett
Co-Founder
Campus Crest Communities

William McMahon
President & CEO
CoaLogix, Inc.

Tom Coble
President & CEO
Coble Trench Safety

Terry Brown
CEO
Edens & Avant

Dale Freudenberger
President & Co-Founder
FLS Energy

Madhu Beriwal
President & CEO
IEM

Steve Parker Jr.
Managing Partner & Co-Founder
Levelwing

Jeff Adelson-Yan
Co-Founder
Levelwing

Neal Fowler
CEO
Liquidia Technologies Inc.

Joseph DeSimone
Founder
Liquidia Technologies Inc.

W. Richard Staub III
President & CEO
Novella Clinical Inc.

Gary Robinette
President & CEO
Ply Gem Holdings, Inc.

Colin Shannon
President & CEO
PRA International

Ric Elias
CEO & Founder
Red Ventures

Jesse Lipson
CEO
ShareFile

Richard Byrne
CEO
TowerCo

Peter Gasca Jr.
Co-Founder & CEO
Wild Creations

Rhett Power
Co-Founder & President
Wild Creations

Stephen Light
President, CEO & Chairman
Xerium Technologies, Inc.

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. 

Contact information

To make reservations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards gala on 09 June 2011, contact Amanda Dudley of Ernst & Young at 704 331 1925 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 02 June 2011. Tickets are $200 per person or $2000 per table of ten. For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

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 the Carolinas, sponsors include King & Spalding.

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.