EY names regional Entrepreneur of the Year winners

EY names regional Entrepreneur of the Year winners

Jim Teets. Courtesy ADAC Automotive

Two West Michigan business leaders have won regional EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

Jim Teets, president and CEO of Grand Rapids-based ADAC Automotive, and Jason Wenk, CEO of Grand Rapids-based FormulaFolio Investments, received the awards for the Michigan and northwest Ohio region at a gala on June 27 at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

“EY has been recognizing leading entrepreneurs who do things differently for more than three decades,” said Debra von Storch, program director, EY Americas Entrepreneur of the Year.

“We are proud to announce the 2018 winners, who boldly break the mold to create new solutions, innovations and possibilities that redefine how we live, work and play.”

The winners were selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, CEOs, investors and other regional business leaders.

Other Michigan winners

Joe Hessling, 365 Retail Markets, Troy

Joey Agree, Agree Realty Corporation, Bloomfield Hills

Damien Rocchi, Grand Circus Detroit, Detroit

Jeanne Jeup, Institute for Multi-Sensory Education, Northville

Matt O’Bryan, KLA Laboratories, Dearborn

Larry Brinker Jr., L.S. Brinker Company, Detroit

Brad Oleshansky, M1 Concourse, Pontiac

Bill Reminder, Truck Hero, Ann Arbor

EY Entrepreneur of the Year program

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who are “excelling” in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of the Year national competition.

Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur of the Year national overall award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur of the Year national awards gala in Palm Springs, California on Nov. 17.

Now in its 32nd year, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year program recognizes business leaders in 145-plus cities and more than 60 countries.