Entrepreneurs change the world

Randy Buseman, partner, Kansas City Ernst & Young Office
Randy Buseman, partner, Kansas City Ernst & Young Office

STL Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013
Recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious business award programs, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards celebrate gravity-defying innovators who build and run great companies. This June, we gather here and in 25 cities across the U.S. to honor all of our regional finalists and welcome the class of 2013 into our Hall of Fame.
Entrepreneurs change the world and make it a better place to work and live. We honor them for their fortitude and resilience, and we celebrate their ability to forge new markets, navigate uncharted territory and fuel economic growth.
Congratulations to this year’s finalists and winners for their unyielding pursuit of business excellence. We are honored to share their inspiring stories with you.
 
Randy Buseman, partner, Kansas City Ernst & Young Office
Mike Hickenbotham, partner, St. Louis Ernst & Young Office
Mike Hickenbotham, partner, St. Louis Ernst & Young Office

Mike Hickenbotham, partner, St. Louis Ernst & Young Office
 
Here are the 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists and winners:
 
Agriculture and Plant Sciences
Winner – J. Larry Sanders, Ph.D., president and CEO, Specialty Fertilizer Products, LLC
 
Engineering & Consulting
Winner – David Raboury, president and CEO, Terracon Consultants, Inc.
 
Entertainment
Winner – Robb Heineman, owner, president and CEO, Sporting Club
 
Industrial Products
Winner – J. Joseph Burgess, president and CEO, Aegion Corporation
 
Manufacturing
Winner – Joseph Suhor III, chairman and CEO, Suhor Industries, Inc.
 
Retail
Winner – Jim Schwartz, chairman and CEO, NPC International, Inc.
 
Technology & Business Services
Winner – Daniel Reed, CEO, UnitedLex
 
Transportation & Logistics
Winner – Artur Wagrodzki and Tomasz Tokarczyk, presidents, Artur Express
 
Turnaround
Winner – T. Michael Riggs, chairman, Jack Cooper Holdings
 
Finalists
–          Matthew J. Condon, CEO, ARC Physical Therapy
 
–          John H. Kramer Jr., president and CEO, Cambridge Engineering, Inc.
 
–          Jeffery Keane, founder and CEO, Coolfire Media, LLC; Coolfire Originals; Coolfire Solutions
 
–          Robert D. Taylor, chairman and CEO, Executive AirShare Corporation
 
–          Mark R. Bamforth, president and CEO, Gallus Pharmacueticals, LLC
 
–          Gary Jaffe, CEO, GL Group, Inc.
 
–          Stephanie Leffler, CEO, and Ryan Noble, president, Juggle.com
 
–          Cary T. Daniel, CEO, Pivot Employment Platforms
 
–          Mike O’Neill, CEO, John Nickel, president, and Kevin Quigley, executive vice president, Switch: Liberate Your Brand
 
–          Lenora Payne, president, Technology Group Solutions, LLC
 
–          Lisa Nichols, co-founder and CEO, Technology Partners
 
–          Geoff Coventry, COO, Rob Freeman, CEO, and Matt Gilhousen, chief development officer, TradeWind Energy, Inc.
 
–          Robert Griggs, president, Trinity Products, Inc.