BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2006 -Ernst & Young LLP today announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2006 Award in the New England. This year's 44 finalists were selected from more than 90 nominations by an independent Finalist Selection Committee composed of area business, academic and civic leaders. Award recipients will be announced at a special 20th anniversary gala event on June 15, 2006 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.
"This year's finalists are true visionaries who have contributed to economic growth, innovation, and cutting-edge products and services," said Bryan Pearce, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award program director for New England. "We proudly celebrate their achievements as we mark the 20th anniversary of this prestigious awards program."
The New England finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 Award are:
| A123 Systems | David Vieau | CEO |
| Acusphere, Inc. | Sherri C. Oberg | President/CEO/Founder |
| Agar Supply Co., Inc. | Karen Bressler | CEO |
| Alexion Pharmaceuticals,Inc. | Dr. Leonard Bell | CEO |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals | John Maraganore | President/CEO |
| Aspect Software, Inc. | James D. Foy | President/CEO/Director |
| Atlas Travel International | Elaine Osgood | President |
| Authoria, Inc. | Tod Hayes Loofbourrow | Chairman/CEO |
| Beacon Hospice | Betty Brennan | President/CEO |
| Broadbus Technologies | Vin Bisceglia | Chairman/CEO |
| BTU Ventures, Inc. | Wael Al-Mazeedi | Chairman/CEO |
| CMGI, Inc. | Joseph Lawler | President/CEO |
| Confluent Surgical, Inc. | Amar Sawhney | CFO |
| Crossbeam Systems | Peter C. George | President/CEO |
| Cynosure, Inc. | Michael R. Davin | Chairman/CEO |
| Datapower Technology, Inc. | Eugene Kuznetsov | Chairman/CEO |
| Endeca | Steve Papa | Chairman/Founder |
| EqualLogic, Inc. | Paula Long | Vice President |
| First Act, Inc. | Bernard Chiu | Chairman |
| Five Star Quality Care,Inc. | Evrett Benton | President/CEO/Founder |
| Forrester Research, Inc. | George Colony | Chairman/CEO/Founder |
| Garber Travel | Roselyn Garber | President/CEO |
| GeoTrust, Inc. | Neal Creighton | CEO |
| Glasshouse Technologies,Inc. | Mark Shirman | President/CEO/Founder |
| Grand Circle Corporation | Alan E. Lewis | Chairman/CEO |
| Granite City Electric Supply Co., Inc. | Phyllis P. Godwin | Chairman/CEO |
| GSI Group | Charles Winston | CEO |
| Hologic, Inc. | Jack W. Cumming | Chairman/CEO/Director |
| IPG Photonics Corporation | Dr. Valentin P. Gapontsev | CEO |
| Keurig, Inc. | Nick Lazaris | President/CEO |
| Konarka Technologies, Inc. | Howard Berke | Chairman/CEO/Founder |
| m-Qube | Jeffrey F. Glass | CEO |
| Nantero, Inc. | Greg Schmergel | President/CEO/Founder |
| OpenPages | Michael J. Duffy | President/CEO |
| Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc. | Joseph Caruso | President/CEO |
| Perkins Paper | Larry Perkins | Executive Vice President/COO |
| Perkins Paper | Gary Perkins | President |
| Presstek, Inc. | Edward J. Marino | President/CEO |
| Reveal Imaging Technologies, Inc. | Michael Ellenbogen | CEO |
| Sirtris Pharmaceuticals | Christoph Westphal | Vice Chairman/CEO |
| Tufts-New England Medical Center | Ellen M. Zane | President/CEO |
| Virtusa Corporation | Kris Canekeratne | Chairman/CEO/Founder |
| Waterford Group, LLC | Len Wolman | Chairman/CEO |
| Wright Express Group | Michael E. Dubyak | President/CEO |
| YesDirect, Inc. | Jeffrey Bennett | President/CEO |
New England award recipients will be eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 national program. Winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 18, 2006.
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and continues to recognize the leaders and visionaries who are creating and building world-class businesses. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
Sponsors Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards is nationally sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In New England, local sponsors include Herald Media, Inc. J. Robert Scott, MARSH and WilmerHale.
Contact InformationTo make reservations for the awards banquet on June 15, 2006, contact Jillian Ciminera of Ernst & Young at (617) 570-8437 or jillian.ciminera@ey.com by June 1st. Tickets are $175.00 per person. For more information about the awards program, visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.
About the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year AwardsThe Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 100 cities and 35 countries.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, is committed to restoring the public's trust in professional services firms and in the quality of financial reporting. Its 107,000 people in 140 countries pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism in providing a range of sophisticated services centered on our core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions. Further information about Ernst & Young and its approach to a variety of business issues can be found at www.ey.com/perspectives. 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 does not provide services to clients.
Note to Editors: Media are invited to attend the awards banquet for interview and photo opportunities. Please call Amy Flannery at (617) 859-6476 as soon as possible to request a complimentary reservation. Press credentials must be presented.