Winners for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2009 awards in South Central Ohio and Kentucky announced - Ernst & Young - United States

Winners for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2009 awards in South Central Ohio and Kentucky announced

Cincinnati, 24 June 2009 – Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the winners for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award in South Central Ohio and Kentucky. This group of outstanding entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of regional business and community leaders.

“Entrepreneurs contribute so much to our economy and the fabric of this nation,” said Alan Greenwell, Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director for South Central Ohio and Kentucky. “These finalists help our region create jobs, while encouraging community growth, development and innovation. We are pleased to honor them.”

The South Central Ohio and Kentucky finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2009 are:

• David Schottenstein, CEO, Astor & Black Clothiers
• Daniel Baker, President & CEO, Baker Concrete Construction
• Steven Fishman,Chairman, CEO, & President, Big Lots
• Eugene Cooke III, President & CEO, Cold Jet LLC
• Simon Hay, CEO, dunnhumby USA
• Gil Delgado, President & CEO, Emergint Technologies
• Claude Davis, President & CEO, First Financial Bancorp
• Dana Bowers, Founder, iPay Technologies
• Greg Tunney, President & CEO, R.G. Barry Corporation

Regional award winners will be eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 national awards. Winners in numerous national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on 14 November 2009. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 23rd anniversary. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America as national sponsors.

In South Central Ohio and Kentucky, sponsors include Thompson Hine LLP, SmartBusiness Magazine, and Mountjoy & Bressler.

Contact information
For questions regarding this year’s event and or 2010 nominations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards gala 2009, please contact Jen Frost of Ernst & Young at +1 513 612 1668.  For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards Program
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The 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, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 135,000 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.

For more information, please visit www.ey.com.

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 Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

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