John Foraker, CEO, Annie’s Inc.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS, FINALIST John Foraker, CEO of Annie’s Inc., has created a culture centered on the concept of doing the right thing even when nobody is looking. Foraker’s culture and vision have helped build the company into a leading provider of natural and organic foods. Hand in hand with the culture and vision […]
T. John Jerger Jr., president, American Traditions Insurance Co. and Modern USA Insurance Co.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, FINALIST The years 2005 and 2006 proved devastating for the insurance industry in Florida. Many national insurance companies moved their businesses out of the state, away from hurricanes and other risks, and John Jerger could have followed suit. But he had a better idea. Instead of fleeing to greener pastures, Jerger jumped at […]
Art Weinstein: Breaking out
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Dale Carlsen, founder and CEO, Sleep Train
RETAIL AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS, AWARD RECIPIENT A father’s disapproval to starting your own business can be daunting, but despite his father’s serious concern about the failure rate of new small businesses, Dale Carlsen was determined to go on his own as he mortgaged his home at a 22.95 percent interest rate to open his first […]
Eric R. Castro, Robert T. Castro & Albert C. Crawford, founders, Bankers Healthcare Group Inc.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, AWARD RECIPIENT From an early age, Eric and Robert Castro were pondering how they could make their mark on the world. When they met Albert Crawford at a networking event in 2001 and they recognized their combined expertise in the health care financing industry, they saw it as an opportunity to create something […]
Jose Prendes, founder and CEO, PureFormulas.com
EMERGING, FINALIST José Prendes’ success in building his entrepreneurial vision into a tangible reality has not come without its challenges. Shortly after moving his first venture operations into a larger office and warehouse, his plans for the growth and expansion were devastated by the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Unable to fully recover the […]
Darron Anderson, CEO, Express Energy Services LP
Oil Field Services – Finalist It was all going so well for Darron Anderson. Investors bought the business that he had built into a success. Anderson felt disconnected from the company’s operations. He needed a new challenge and found it in Express Energy Services LP. This was a company that was growing and it seemed […]
Alan Schulman, president and CEO, Glentronics Inc.
Retail and Consumer Products – Finalist The sump pump market in which Glentronics Inc. competes is very established and has dozens of competitors. Prior to the company entering the field, much of it was dominated by one product. Today, that product is almost nonexistent, and Glentronics leads the market these days. Alan Schulman, president and […]
Bobby Harris, president and CEO, BlueGrace Logistics
EMERGING, FINALIST Bobby Harris represents the true spirit of an entrepreneur. Four-and-a-half years ago when his employer went out of business, and with a wife and two small children at home, he took a huge risk and opened his own company in the freight and logistics industry. In an uncertain economy, there was no way […]
John D. Schiller Jr., founder, chairman and CEO, Energy XXI Ltd.
Exploration & Production – Finalist John D. Schiller Jr. took something from every experience he had after graduating from Texas A&M University and going into the oil and gas business. He watched the business change significantly and experienced many of the mergers and consolidations that took place through the 1980s and 1990s. It all put […]