Two Santa Ana business owners among semi-finalists for Ernst & Young Award

Ernst & Young Announces Semifinalists for 2013

Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards in Orange County

IRVINE, Calif., April 4, 2013 – Ernst & Young LLP today announced the 27 semifinalists for its 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards in Orange County. The awards program recognizes high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. These business leaders were selected from more than 75 nominations by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala on June 6, 2013, at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point.

The semifinalists are:

American Technologies, Inc., Orange – Gary Moore, President
AppleCare Medical Management, Buena Park – Vinod Jivrajka, CEO
ARQ, LLC, Irvine – Kunal Hinduja, President
Car Sound Exhaust Systems, Rancho Santa Margarita – Jerry Paolone, Chairman, Founder, CEO
Carl Warren & Company, Placentia – Caryn Siebert, President, COO
Catherine Frandsen & Company, Inc., Santa Ana – Cathy Frandsen, President
CiTrials, Costa Mesa – Debra Hoffmeyer, Founder, CEO
CoreLogic, Inc., Irvine – Anand Nallathambi, CEO
CyberCoders & CareerBliss, Irvine – Heidi Golledge, CEO, Founder
DealerSocket, San Clemente – Jonathan Ord, CEO
Diamond Wipes International, Inc., Chino – Eve Yen, Founder, President
Global Cash Card, Irvine – Michael Purcell, Founder, Exec. VP, CMO
Montage Hotels & Resorts, Laguna Beach – Alan Fuerstman, Founder, CEO
MSC Software, Santa Ana – Dominic Gallello, President, CEO
Nature’s Best, Brea – Jim Beck, CEO
New American Funding, Tustin – Rick Arvielo, CEO
nuCourse Distribution Inc., Garden Grove – Nick Seedorf, President
Opus Bank, Irvine – Stephen Gordon, Founding Chairman, CEO
Prince Organization, Yorba Linda – Sunil Tolani, President, CEO
Retreat Capital Management, Inc., Irvine – Arvin Wijay, President, CEO
Sabal Financial Group L.P., Newport Beach – R. Patterson Jackson, Founder, CEO
System & Software Enterprises, Brea – Joseph Renton, Founder, Chairman
The Bascom Group, LLC, Irvine – Jerry Fink & David Kim, Co-Founders, Managing Partners
The Johnny Rockets Group, Inc., Aliso Viejo – John Fuller, President, CEO
Tilly’s, Inc., Irvine – Hezy Shaked, Founder, Chairman, CSO
TRI Pointe Homes, Inc., Irvine – Doug Bauer, CEO; Mike Grubbs, CFO; Tom Mitchell, COO Waterstone Faucets, Murrieta – Chris Kuran, President

Now in its 27th year, the Entrepreneur of the Year Program has expanded globally to recognize company builders in nearly 150 cities and in more than 50 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners go on to compete at the national level. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 16, 2013. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards is nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In Orange County, local sponsors include: Marsh Insurance, Union Bank, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, LLP, Scherzer International, Smart Business magazine and HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications.

About Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year®

Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award recognizes the significant contributions of entrepreneurs who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.

About Ernst & Young LLP’s Strategic Growth Markets practice

Ernst & Young LLP’s Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary team of elite professionals provides perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. Ernst & Young is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter at EY_Growth.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

For more information, please visit ey.com.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a client-serving member firm of Ernst Young Global Limited operating in the US

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