EY Calls for Nominations for the Most Innovative Entrepreneurs

    IRVINE, CA, January 11, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- EY is inviting nominations for the 29th Annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards, recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country. The nomination deadline is March 6, 2015, with the Orange County awards ceremony scheduled for June 11, 2015 at The St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif. Nominations are open to business leaders from Orange County as well as the Inland Empire.

Each year, EY showcases successful entrepreneurs from more than 145 cities in 60 countries. In 2014, nearly 80 business leaders from Orange County and the Inland Empire were nominated for the program, and the following six companies were selected as EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners:

Eve Yen, Diamond Wipes International, Inc. - Chino
Jeff Frieden, Auction.com - Irvine
Jonathan Ord, DealerSocket, Inc. - San Clemente
Phillip Chang, Yogurtland - Irvine
Phu Hoang, Virtium Technology, Inc. - Rancho Santa Margarita
Vivian Clecak, Human Options - Irvine

Award winners are selected in a number of industry categories by a panel of independent regional judges comprised of previous award winners, leading CEOs, community luminaries, private capital investors and other key business leaders.

"For almost 30 years, we have had the privilege of getting to know many high-impact entrepreneurs through our Entrepreneur Of The Year Program," said Kim Letch, Orange County Program Director, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year. "The entrepreneurs we have honored lead highly disruptive companies in their industries and create new jobs in the economy."

A look at the 663 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 US finalists reveals how they are surpassing benchmarks for high-impact entrepreneurship by a large margin. They particularly excel in the areas of revenue growth, with median sales growth of more than 30 percent per year in each of the last two years, and growth in employment by increasing personnel by an average of more than 30 percent over the same period.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June. All regional honorees are then invited to the Entrepreneur Of The Year National gala, on November 14, 2015 in Palm Springs, Calif. The gala is the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum , the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. For more information on the EY Strategic Growth Forum, please visit http://www.ey.com/us/sgf.

The US Overall National winner will move forward to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in Monaco the following June.

Awards criteria
Business leaders eligible for consideration include not only company founders, but also leaders who have transformed an existing business, multi-generation family businesses and both public and private company CEOs. The nominee's company must be at least two years old and he/she must be in the leadership position for at least two years. Nominate someone you know or nominate yourself. There is no fee to enter. Information is available at http://www.ey.com/us/eoy/oc.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP Americas and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In Orange County, sponsors include: Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Co., Union Bank, Smart Business, Merrill Datasite, Scherzer International and HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications.

Contact information
To receive more information, including nomination forms, contact: Kathy Beckman, EY, 18111 Von Karman Ave., Suite 1000, Irvine, CA 92612, (949) 437-0236, [email protected].

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique 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, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY's Strategic Growth Markets practice
EY's Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practices guide leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary teams of elite professionals provide perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. EY is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter @EY_Growth.

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory 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.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the 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. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.

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