Cory Wiedel and Ryan Zink, Complete Nutrition
FINALIST Cory Wiedel founder and CEO Ryan Zink president and co-owner Complete Nutrition When Cory Wiedel took two years off from college to open his first business, it was ultimately unsuccessful, but the experience cemented his ambitions to be an entrepreneur. With his solid work ethic, he paid off his debt and finished school a […]
Dennis Oates, Chairman, President and CEO, Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc.
WINNER / INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. was launched in 1994 when founder Mac McAninch rejuvenated a defunct stainless steel mill in Bridgeville, Pa. The company became a successful stainless steel producer and soon opened two more previously shuttered mills in Titusville, Pa., and Dunkirk, N.Y. When Dennis Oates joined Universal’s board […]
Cindy Taylor, President and CEO, Oil States International Inc.
AWARD RECIPIENT / OIL FIELD SERVICES As CEO of Oil States International Inc., Cindy Taylor leads by example, demonstrating her high standards and dedication to transparency. Key to Oil States’ success has been her ability to leverage the talents of the many people within the company. Taylor believes in “distributive leadership,” which requires the retention […]
Andy Kanefield: How to get tuned in to what drives your employees at your company
How to meet your organizational goals
Michael Uckele, CEO, Uckele Health & Nutrition Inc.
Finalist, Consumer Products When Michael Uckele began negotiations to take over his family’s nutrition supplement business in 2005, it was a troubled time for the company. Uckele Health & Nutrition Inc. had just been hit with a large lawsuit settlement and sales had plummeted 50 percent to $1 million. Uckele negotiated a purchase of the […]
Dawn Ainger, president and CEO, Genova Technologies
FINALIST Dawn Ainger president and CEO Genova Technologies Dawn Ainger showed up for her job as a software engineer at Genova Technologies one day in 2001 to find the doors locked and the company shut down, with plans to file for bankruptcy. She never dreamed of being an entrepreneur, but seeing few other options, she […]
Gary Jabara, founder and CEO, Mobilitie LLC
WINNER – Real Estate & Hospitality Gary Jabara founder and CEO Mobilitie LLC In the eight years since Mobilitie LLC launched, the company has become the fastest-growing owner and lessor of wireless and telecommunication infrastructure assets in the country. Mobilitie, under the leadership of President and CEO Gary Jabara, owns thousands of wireless communication towers […]
Jay Colker – Don't ever take your employees or the work they do for your business for granted
How to show your people their value
Michael Davis, owner, Adventure Harley-Davidson
FINALIST: Retail and Consumer Products Before purchasing his first Harley-Davidson dealership in Ohio in 2003, Mike Davis was a motorcycle rider. So he knew that he wanted to build his company not just as a bike shop, but also as a destination for customers that got people in all walks of life excited about the […]
Wilbert W. Williams, President, Williams-Bayer Industries
Finalist, Manufacturing Founded by Wilbert Williams in 2001, Williams- Bayer Industries Inc. is an automotive supplier that makes CNC bent tubing, catalytic converter shells, metal stampings, component assemblies, suspension bushings, and stamped, staked and welded assemblies. Williams, who was born in Jamaica and earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, worked […]