For more than 25 years, Ernst & Young has celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit of men and women who make our economy vibrant.
Ernst & Young founded the Entrepreneur Of The Year program to recognize those with a passion for “thinking big” and to bring together visionaries and leaders to inspire each other and our communities. We have gathered here and in 25 other cities across the United States to honor all of our regional semifinalists and welcome a new class of entrepreneurs into our Hall of Fame, recognizing their resilience, ingenuity and innovation.
We applaud them for overcoming challenges, inspiring others, opening new markets and, ultimately, fueling economic growth in Michigan and Northwest Ohio. Let’s celebrate their achievements, perseverance and tireless pursuit of business excellence.
Congratulations to all our 2012 Michigan & Northwest Ohio semifinalists.
— Jamie Simpson, Partner/Program Director, Entrepreneur of the Year, Ernst & Young
2012 Winners, Finalists and Semifinalists
Business Services
• Bradley Oleshansky, BIG Communications LLC (Winner)
• Donald A. Hicks, LLamasoft (Finalist)
• Frederick Minturn, MSX International (Finalist)
• Richard B. Sheridan, Menlo Innovations LLC (Finalist)
• Sabah Ammouri, ATM of America Inc. (Semifinalist)
•Lynn Mustazza, JAWOOD Business Process Solutions LLC (Semifinalist)
• Mark Symonds, Plex Systems Inc. (Semifinalist)
Consumer Products
• Ryan J. Blair , ViSalus Sciences (Winner)
• Pam Turkin, Just Baked (Finalist)
• Michael Eckele, Eckele Health & Nutrition (Finalist)
• Joseph M. McClure, McClure’s Pickles (Semifinalist)
• Mark Peters , Butterball Farms Inc. (Semifinalist)
Distribution
• Kevin and Carole Chase , Chase Plastic Services Inc. (Winner)
• John Eldred, Midwest Tap LLC (Finalist)
• Jameel M. Burkett , Burkett Restaurant Equipment (Semifinalist)
• Charles Elliott, Lake Court Medical Supplies Inc. (Semifinalist)
Industrial Products
• Douglas J. Grimm , Grede Holdings LLC (Winner)
• Tanvir Arfi, SPX Service Solutions (Finalist)
• Charles G. McClure, Meritor Inc. (Semifinalist)
Manufacturing
• Christopher J. O’Connor, Humanetics Innovative Solutions (Winner)
• Shiela Kaye Rossmann, Paramount Precision Products Inc. (Winner)
• Noel Cuellar, Primera Plastics Inc. (Finalist)
• Wilbert W. Williams, Williams-Bayer Industries (Finalist)
•Jonathan Paul DeWys , DeWys Manufacturing (Semifinalist)
• John Sztykiel, Spartan Motors (Semifinalist)
Master
• Manoj Bhargava, Innovation Ventures LLC and Living Essentials LLC (Winner)
Services
•Dr. David Kent, Lifestyle Lift (Winner)
• Dr. Christopher Newton , Emergency Physicians Medical Group PC (Finalist)
• Jeffery S. Prough , Critical Signal Technologies Inc. (Finalist)
• Jane E. McNamara, GreenPath Debt Solutions (Semifinalist)
• Jason Teshuba, Mango Languages (Semifinalist)
Spirit of Entrepreneurship
• Nancy Schlichting, Henry Ford Health System (Winner)
Staffing & Support Services
• Claudine George, ICONMA LLC (Winner)
• Tel K. Ganesan, Kyyba Inc. (Finalist)
• Dianne Marsh and Bill Wagner, SRT Solutions Inc. (Semifinalist)
• Marie Seipenko, Preferred Solutions Inc. (Semifinalist)
