Recipients of The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year 2005 Awards in New Jersey Announced


ISELIN, N.J., June 24, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP announced last night the winners of the Ernst & Young 18th annual Entrepreneur of the Year(r) ("EOY") Awards in New Jersey. Selected by an independent panel of judges comprised of local community and business leaders, the winners were announced at an awards banquet at the Glenpoint Marriott in Teaneck, NJ.

The 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award category winners in New Jersey are:


 -- Biotechnology/Life Sciences -- Donald Drakeman, J.D., Ph.D., 
    Medarex, Inc., Princeton, NJ
 -- Business Services -- Thomas MacArthur, CCLA AIC, York 
    Insurance Services Group, Inc., Parsippany, NJ
 -- Consulting Services -- Frank Casagrande, BusinessEdge Solutions 
    Inc., East Brunswick, NJ
 -- Data Services and Software -- N. Robert Hammer, CommVault 
    Systems, Inc., Oceanport, NJ
 -- Government Services -- Mark Newman, DRS Technologies, Inc., 
    Parsippany, NJ
 -- Healthcare Solutions and Services -- Tracy Doyle, Phoenix 
    Group Holdings, LLC, Warren, NJ
 -- Industrial Products and Services -- Marianna Rabinovitch, ECI 
    Technology, Inc., East Rutherford, NJ
 -- Manufacturing -- David Tierney, M.D., Valera Pharmaceuticals, 
    Inc., Cranbury, NJ
 -- Real Estate -- Diane Turton, Diane Turton, Realtors, Point 
    Pleasant Beach, NJ
 -- Technology/Communications Services -- Michael Small, Centennial 
    Communications Corporation, Wall, NJ

"The New Jersey Entrepreneur Of The Year award winners embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and determination necessary to achieve success," said Keith L. Brownlie, Ernst & Young Partner and New Jersey Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director. "Now in its 18th year, the program continues to recognize New Jersey's diverse and vibrant business environment and Ernst & Young is proud to be leading that effort."

To be eligible to receive an award, the nominee must be an owner/founder/manager of a private or public company who is primarily responsible for the recent performance of the company (or organization) and an active member of top management. Those honored will have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

Winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2005 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, California, in November 2005.

Independent Judging Panel


   --  Martin R. Benante, Chairman and CEO, Curtiss-Wright 
       Corporation (2004 Entrepreneur Of The Year New Jersey 
       finalist)
   --  Kenneth W. Freeman, Managing Director, Kohlberg Kravis 
       Roberts & Co. and Founding and Former Chairman & CEO, Quest 
       Diagnostics Inc. (2004 Entrepreneur Of The Year National 
       finalist and New Jersey award recipient)
   --  Jim Gunton, General Partner, NJTC Venture Fund
   --  Mark S. Kuehn, Attorney At Law, Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, 
       Griffinger & Vecchione, P.C.
   --  Susan Scherreik, Director, Center for Entrepreneurial 
       Studies at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall 
       University
   --  Scott L. Turner, President and CEO, HMHTTC Response, Inc. 
       (2004 Entrepreneur Of The Year New Jersey award recipient)
   --  Robert O. Carr, Chairman and CEO, Heartland Payment Systems, 
       Inc. (2004 Entrepreneur Of The Year New Jersey award recipient)

Sponsorship

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is sponsored Nationally by the Kauffman Foundation and Platinum sponsor Marsh. Gold sponsors for the New Jersey program are Curran & Connors, Inc. and Doremus Financial Printing, and Silver sponsors are Geller & Company, NJBIZ, New Jersey Technology Council, Waggener Edstrom, and WithumSmith+Brown. Patrons include Bank of New York, JPMorganChase, PNC Bank, and Scherzer International.

About The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(r) Awards Program

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 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 103,000 people in more than 140 countries around the globe pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism to provide clients with solutions based on financial, transactional, and risk-management knowledge in Ernst & Young's core services of audit, tax, and transaction advisory services. 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 all the members of the global Ernst & Young organization.

Entrepreneur Of The Year(r) is a registered service mark of Ernst & Young LLP.



            

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