Charles Elliott, President and CEO, Lake Court Medical Supplies Inc.
Semifinalist, Distribution Charles Elliot founded his own company in 1991 — basically by selling a wheelchair out of the trunk of his station wagon. From there, he operated as its sole employee in a Detroit-warehouse, doing everything from unloading trucks to product sales and customer service. The president and CEO of Lake Court Medical Supplies […]
Jesse Stein, founder, SportsMemorabilia.com
FINALIST – Retail and Consumer Products Jesse Stein founder SportsMemorabilia.com Jesse Stein has always been a self-made entrepreneur. At age 6, he carried around a briefcase just like his businessman grandfather. At 10, he’d collect tips from serving drinks to party guests. And by 15, he mowed lawns, sold luggage and cold-called for the Dean […]
Five strategies from Fay Sharpe on maintaining foreign trademark registrations
Colleen Flynn Goss, Fay Sharpe LLP
Len Rodman, chairman, president and CEO, Black & Veatch
WINNER – Services Len Rodman chairman, president and CEO Black & Veatch Len Rodman is not interested in doing things the easy way. His employees at Black & Veatch know very well his saying of, “If it’s easy, someone else is probably doing it.” Rodman wants to find the innovative solution, the one that comes […]
Dr. Christopher Newton, President and CEO, Emergency Physicians Medical Group PC
Finalist, Services When Dr. Christopher Newton first joined Emergency Physicians Medical Group PC, he had no interest in one day becoming the CEO of the company. However, the company went through a transition of ownership, and after several scenarios were considered, the job Newton didn’t think he would ever have was his. As president and […]
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 […]