Entrepreneurs Honored in Arizona; Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award Recipients Announced

Business Wire, July 2, 1998

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 1998--Award recipients have been named in the Arizona Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) Award Program.

The 10th annual event, held at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale at Gainey Ranch drew a sell out audience of area business, civic and community leaders. According to Mark Stephens, partner in Ernst & Young's Entrepreneurial Services Practice and director of the EOY program in Arizona, the 1998 Entrepreneur Of The Year award recipients by category are:

MASTER ENTREPRENEUR Edward N. Basha, Jr., Chairman of the Board - Bashas' Inc., Chandler; retail grocery

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR BK Boreyko & Jason Boreyko, Co-CEOs - New Vision International, Tempe; sell health, nutritional & beauty products through nationwide distributor base

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AWARD Peggy E. Thomas, President - Cool Paw Productions Inc., Tempe; manufacture & wholesale outdoor gear for dogs

BUSINESS SERVICES: Beti Ward, CEO - American International Cargo, Phoenix;air cargo company

COMMUNICATION/ENTERTAINMENT Todd McFarlane, CEO/Owner - Todd McFarlane Productions, Phoenix; multimedia entertainment (movies, animation, licensing, toys, comics)

MANUFACTURING/HIGH TECH Steven K. Uhlmann, Chairman - Tech Group, Scottsdale; manufacture four major products in the plastics industry: custom molding, medical, packaging, and precision tooling

REAL ESTATE/CONSTRUCTION Scott Schuff, CEO - Schuff Steel Company, Phoenix; fabrication & erection of structural steel

RETAIL/WHOLESALE James E. Acridge, Chairman & CEO - Giant Industries Inc., Scottsdale; independent refiner & marketer of petroleum products

SPECIALTY SERVICES Michael Watts, President - Sunstate Equipment Co., Phoenix; provide multistate industrial and construction rentals of tools and equipment

The EOY award was founded by Ernst & Young LLP over a decade ago as a community service nationwide. Today, the program takes place in 47 major U.S. markets and includes the following national co-sponsors: The Entrepreneur Of The Year Institute; The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Inc. at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; USA TODAY; and The Nasdaq Stock Market.

Joining the national sponsors, Citibank Private Bank, J&H Marsh & McLennan, and Southern California Edison are regional sponsors in Arizona as well as several other markets. Arizona sponsors are Merrill Lynch and Sprint. Patron sponsors include Audio Visual Headquarters; Bank of America; Bowne; Bryan Cave; Eddie's Grill Catering; Silicon Valley Bank; and Snell & Wilmer. Business Wire is a regional media sponsor, and Arizona media sponsors include: The Business Journal; Cox Communications; and KFNN 1510 AM.

This year's national search will culminate in Palm Springs, Calif., Nov. 12-15, 1998, with a nationally televised, black-tie awards gala. National finalists and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winners will be announced and celebrated by more than 1,700 attendees as part of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Institute International Conference.

The finalists and award recipients in this year's Arizona competition were selected by an independent judging panel consisting of prominent business leaders including:

Joanne Carthey, President/CEO, NetPro Computing Kathryn Dusenberry, Vice President, Horizon Moving Systems Steve Moak, President, Moak & Sons Quinn Williams, Senior Partner, Snell & Wilmer

Entrepreneur of the Year is a registered service mark of Ernst & Young LLP. Ernst & Young LLP provides assurance and advisory business services, tax services and consulting for domestic and global clients. The firm has 27,000 people in 89 offices. Visit the Ernst & Young Home Page at http://www.ey.com. Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Services is dedicated to meeting the business needs of growing businesses worldwide.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Institute was created to celebrate the accomplishments of the world's outstanding entrepreneurs, and to make the general public more aware of the benefits they provide to our society. Membership is limited exclusively to regional and national Entrepreneur Of The Year award recipients.

The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Inc. at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation serves as a catalyst for understanding, supporting and accelerating entrepreneurship. The Kauffman Foundation is the largest foundation supporting entrepreneurship in the United States.

For today's time-pressed, affluent, and influential consumers, USA Today is the user-friendly, comprehensive source of communication that informs, educates, and entertains.

The Nasdaq Stock Market is the home of growth companies and is recognized worldwide for listing companies with entrepreneurial spirit. Nasdaq is harnessing technology for the benefit of investors.

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