William Baker, President and CEO, Irwin Car and Equipment
FINALIST / MANUFACTURING William Baker’s willingness to take risks in the face of uncertainty has propelled Irwin Car and Equipment into new niche markets, new product and service offerings, and ultimately, new revenue. When President and CEO Baker bought the Irwin, Pa.-based engineering and manufacturing company 19 years ago, it was already well established as […]
Richard B. Sheridan, CEO, Menlo Innovations LLC
Finalist, Business Services When you walk into the environment Rich Sheridan has created at Menlo Innovations LLC, it looks less like the software company that it is and more like a classroom or advertising agency. Noticeably missing from Menlo is the presence of cubicles or offices. Employees gather around tables to work and communicate openly […]
Pam Turkin, Founder, Just Baked
Finalist, Consumer Products Even the most daring entrepreneurs wouldn’t consider the midst of a recession to be the best time to start a business, especially one in which they had no experience while using their entire retirement fund to do so. But that’s just what Pam Turkin did in 2009 when she launched Just Baked, […]
Richard Lunak, President and CEO, Innovation Works
WINNER / SUPPORTER OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP It wasn’t a slam-dunk decision that Richard Lunak would take the position that had been offered to him and become president and CEO at Innovation Works. The not-for-profit company that was created to help entrepreneurs was itself struggling and had recently been investigated for its handling of a federal contract. […]
Joseph Carrabba, chairman, president and CEO, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
WINNER: Energy, Resources and Clean Technology Since opening its first iron ore mine in the upper peninsula of Michigan in 1850, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. has remained in the vanguard of the steelmaking industry, successfully adapting operations to major changes that drove many competitors out of business. In recent years, Cliffs Natural Resources, an international […]
Robert Low, president, Prime Inc.
WINNER – Transportation Robert Low president Prime Inc. Robert Low believes that the center of Prime Inc.’s continued success over the years has been a strong management team. In assembling his team, Prime’s president looked for individuals who are talented enough to perform at a high level while still adhering to the organization’s culture. Once […]
Michael Sheldon, president and CEO, Network Hardware Resale LLC
Finalist — Distribution & Manufacturing Founded in a garage in 1986 by former IBM executive Chuck Sheldon, Network Hardware Resale LLC grew from the ground up with a focus on selling the best pre-owned networking equipment at faster response times and with lower failure rates than original equipment manufacturers. By 1996 the company, a reseller […]
Mark Thierer, chairman and CEO, SXC Health Solutions Corp.
WINNER: Health Sciences Mark Thierer had a vision for SXC Health Solutions Corp. to become the pharmaceutical cost management partner of choice. In his short time as CEO and chairman, he has transformed SXC from a boutique provider of pharmacy benefits management (PBM) software to a rapidly growing full-service company. His vision included three goals: […]
Steve Russell, founder, chairman and CEO, Celadon Group Inc.
FINALIST: Master Entrepreneur Steve Russell has learned from his experience that a successful business leader needs to have four key qualities: leadership, intelligence, drive and street sense — to which Russell has given the acronym LIDS. As the founder, chairman and CEO of Celadon Group Inc., Russell has continuously demonstrated these qualities, helping him to […]
Daniel Oh and Jeff Stroburg, Renewable Energy Group Inc.
WINNER – Energy and Chemicals Daniel Oh, president and CEO Jeff Stroburg, chairman Renewable Energy Group Inc. Jeff Stroburg and Daniel Oh share a passion for the success of their company, Renewable Energy Group Inc., but they arrived at that destination from different directions. Stroburg, the company’s chairman, grew up on a farm in Iowa […]