GRAND RAPIDS Thirty four finalists were culled from a list of 160 nominees to make the finals of the Ernst & Young 2004 Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in West Michigan. Winners will be announced at an awards banquet on June 24 at the Amway Grand Plaza.

West Michigan winners will be eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2004 national program. Winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, CA., in November 2004.

West Michigan Finalists include:

Ronald E. Schults, P.E., The Abonmarche Group – Benton Harbor, President & CEO

Mark A. Jones, President & Owner, AmeriFirst Financial Corporation, Portage

David N. Gahm, CEO, AmeriFirst Financial Corporation Portage

John (Jack) C. Buchanan, Jr., Blue Bridge Ventures, LLC – Grand Rapids, CEO

Daniel A. Blackledge, Chairman, BlueGranite, Inc. Kalamazoo & Founder

Arlen H. Smith, President, Central Interconnect Grand Rapids

Matthew P. Jung, President, Comfort Research – Grand Rapids

Daniel C. George, CEO, Comfort Research – Grand Rapids

Vernon C. Ohlman, Chairman, Design Plus, Inc. – Grand Rapids

Douglas J. Weaver, Owner, Douglas J. Day Spa Salon Okemos

Bob O. VanKalker, President, DVK Construction, Inc. Caledonia

Thomas H. Highley, President, The Empire Company, Inc. Zeeland

Rita Williams, CEO & Chairman, Gill Industries, Inc. – Grand Rapids

Gary L. Tilkin, President & CEO, Global Futures & Forex Grand Rapids

Paul Gordon, Chairman, Gordon Food Service – Grand Rapids

John Gordon, Vice Chairman, Gordon Food Service – Grand Rapids

William L. Deary, CEO, Great Lakes Home Health & Hospice Jackson

David W. Bird, President, Heartwell Mortgage Corporation Grand Rapids

Diane Helms, President, Helms Caulking, Inc. Jenison

W. Dodd Russell, President, I & W Industries – Traverse City

Dan C. Jaqua, President, Jaqua Realtors Kalamazoo

Gregory D. VandenBosch, CEO, MedDirect, LLC – Grand Rapids

Scott A. Addison, Partner, MedDirect, LLC – Grand Rapids

David S. Samrick, CEO & Chairman Mill Steel Company, Inc. – Grand Rapids

Karlis Vizulis, President & CEO Performance Systematix, Inc. – Grand
Rapids

Michael A. Garrett, President, Pinnacle Construction Group – Grand
Rapids

John A. Kailunas, II, President Regal Financial Group, LLC Kentwood

J. Lawrence Taunt, CFO & Chairman Regal Financial Group, LLC Kentwood

Brian Yarch, Vice President Regal Financial Group, LLC Kentwood

Keith D. Brophy, CEO, Sagestone Consulting – Grand Rapids

Mark L. Groulx, President & COO, Trendway Corporation Holland

Donald G. Heeringa, CEO, Trendway Corporation Holland

Juanita C. Briggs, President, Valor Industries Zeeland

Wayne E. Visbeen, President, Visbeen Associates, Inc. – Grand Rapids

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