Excerpted, courtesy of Ernst & Young LLP (EY US):

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced the finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2020 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award. Now in its 34th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors successful business leaders whose ambitions deliver innovation, growth and prosperity as they build and sustain groundbreaking companies that transform our world. These 29 business leaders were selected as finalists by a panel of independent judges from a competitive pool of nominations.

Award winners will be announced during a special virtual event on Thursday, October 8 at 6 p.m. EST and will join the ranks of a lifelong community of esteemed Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. This year, unstoppable entrepreneurs who have provided extraordinary support to their communities, employees and others during the COVID-19 crisis will also be recognized for their courage, resilience and ingenuity.

The 2020 Michigan and Northwest Ohio finalists are:

    • Ryan Greenawalt | Alta Equipment (Livonia, Michigan)
    • Raj Vattikuti | Altimetrik (Southfield, Michigan)
    • Eli Crotzer | Arch Global Precision (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)
    • Brad Baxter and Jacob Zuppke | AutoPets (Auburn Hills, Michigan)
    • Sam Beznos | Beztak Companies (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
    • Justin Mast | Bloomscape (Detroit, Michigan)
    • Mathew Vachaparampil | Caresoft Global, Inc. (Southfield, Michigan)
    • John Sammut and Jochen Lipp | Firstronic, Inc (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
    • Eric Erwin | FloraCraft (Ludington, Michigan)
    • Pat Gillespie | Gillespie Group (Lansing, Michigan)
  • Lisa Lunsford | Global Strategic Supply Solutions (Livonia, Michigan)
  • Tony Mira | MiraMed Global Services (Jackson, Michigan)
  • Uma Sharma | MMS Holdings (Canton, Michigan)
  • Garrett Morelock | Monroe Engineering Products (Rochester, Michigan)
  • Kerry Ann Rockquemore and Robin Mohapatra | National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, LLC (Detroit, Michigan)
  • Gwen Jimmere | Naturalicious (Livonia, Michigan)
  • Tom Shea | OneStream Software (Rochester, Michigan)
  • Meredith Bronk | OST (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
  • Tricia Ruby | Ruby+Associates, Inc. (Bingham Farms, Michigan)
  • Jon DeGaynor | Stoneridge, Inc. (Novi, Michigan)
  • Daryl Adams | The Shyft Group (Novi, Michigan)
  • Greg Kiley | Velocity, A Managed Services Company, Inc. (Holland, Ohio)
  • Billy Hall, Dan McMurtrie and Chris Mattina, Jr. | VESTA Modular (Southfield, Michigan)
  • Alina Morse | Zolli Candy (Commerce Township, Michigan)

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive business awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. Finalists were evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries throughout the world.

“Our finalists have been carefully selected for their grit, persistence and ambition coupled with care and concern for their employees, companies and other stakeholders,” said Shannon Crone, Entrepreneur Of The Year Michigan and Northwest Ohio program co-director.

“Now more than ever, we need unstoppable entrepreneurs to inspire innovation, fuel growth and deliver long-term value for their communities and lead us to what’s next,” added Joe Lenglet, Entrepreneur Of The Year Michigan and Northwest Ohio program co-director.   

Michigan and Northwest Ohio Focus

Each year, EY US showcases successful entrepreneurs from 20 regional competitions across the United States. In 2019, 10 entrepreneurs leading companies from Michigan and Northwest Ohio were selected as Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners.

For information on the Entrepreneur Of The Year Michigan and Northwest Ohio program, please visit ey.com/us/eoy/mnwo.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®

Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting 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.