Finalists Announced for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Central Midwest

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce today the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in the Central Midwest. This group of exceptional entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of regional business, academic and community leaders. The winners will be revealed at a gala event on June 18, 2008 at the Sheraton in Overland Park, Kansas.

"These finalists are the best of the best, embodying the unique spirit of entrepreneurism," said Randy Buseman, Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Markets partner for the Kansas City office. "They positively impact our region in a major way, through jobs, community growth and development and innovation. Ernst & Young is proud to salute them."

The Central Midwest finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2008 are:

-- Robert Goldstein, Chairman, CEO and President - Alter Trading Corporation - St. Louis, MO

-- Rusty Keeley, President - American Directional Boring, Inc. and L. Keeley Construction - Saint Louis, MO

-- Keith Molzer, President - Balance Innovations, LLC - Lenexa, KS

-- Charles Berkel, Chairman - Berkel & Company Contractors, Inc. - Bonner Springs, KS

-- Greg Graves, President and CEO - Burns & McDonnell - Kansas City, MO

-- Robert Hatch, Chairman and CEO - Cereal Ingredients, Inc. - Leavenworth, KS

-- Bob Cutler, CEO - Creative Consumer Concepts, (C3) - Overland Park, KS

-- Donald DeWaay, CEO - DeWaay Capital Management - Clive, IA

-- Joe Smith, President - Embassy Landscape Group, Inc. - Riverside, MO

-- Bruce Rastetter, CEO - Hawkeye Energy Holdings - Ames, IA

-- Robert Ketterer, President - HDA, Inc. - Saint Louis, MO

-- Clark Davis, Vice Chairman - HOK - St. Louis, MO

-- Bob White, President and CEO - IDEX - Overland Park, KS

-- Dave Scheer, President and CEO - Inland Truck Parts Company - Overland Park, KS

-- Robert Janeczko, President - Innovative Injection Technologies, Inc. (i2tech) - West Des Moines, IA

-- Michael Haverty, Chairman and President - Kansas City Southern - Kansas City, MO

-- Gary Walker, CEO and Chairman - Magic Touch Cleaning, Inc. - Lee's Summit, MO

-- Mark Huber, Chief Executive Officer - PayFlex Systems USA, Inc. - Omaha, NE

-- F. Nicholas Franano, M.D., Director, Founder and CSO and William Whitaker, Esq., Vice President and General Counsel - Proteon Therapeutics, Inc. - Kansas City, MO

-- Jennifer Williams, President and CEO - Saint Louis Closet Company - St. Louis, MO

-- Phillip Short, CEO - ViraCor, LLC - Lee's Summit, MO

Regional award winners will be eligible for consideration in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 national program. 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 November 15, 2008. 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 22nd 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 the Central Midwest, sponsors include Lockton Companies and The Kansas City Star as regional sponsors, and Faegre & Benson LLP, Kutak Rock LLP and the St. Louis Business Journal as local sponsors.

Contact information

To make reservations for the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards gala on June 18, contact Cheryl Yates of Ernst & Young at 816-480-5321 or cheryl.yates@ey.com by June 4, 2008. Tickets are $150 per person. For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year

Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the unique 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, Ernst & Young 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 135 cities in 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 130,000 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 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.