EY Announces Winners for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2014 in Orange County

IRVINE, Calif. - June 5, 2014 - PRLog -- EY today announced the winners of the 2014 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in Orange County. This group of leading entrepreneurs was selected from nearly 80 nominations by an independent judging panel made up of previous award recipients, prominent CEOs, private capital investors and other regional business leaders. The winners were revealed at a special gala June 4 at The St. Regis Resort in Dana Point.

“EY has honored outstanding entrepreneurs for the past 28 years,” said Kim Letch, EY Partner and Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director for Orange County. “These business leaders are accomplished entrepreneurs who have contributed a tremendous amount to the community.”

The Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 Orange County Award winners, selected from 20 entrepreneurs representing 18 companies, include:

Real Estate

Jeffrey Frieden, CEO – Auction.com, Irvine

Business to Business

Jonathan Ord, CEO – DealerSocket, San Clemente

Manufacturing

Eve Yen, Founder & President – Diamond Wipes Int’l, Chino

Social Responsibility / Non-Profit

Vivian Clecak, Founding CEO – Human Options, Irvine

Enterprise Solutions

Phu Hoang, CEO – Virtium Technology, Rancho Santa Margarita

Consumer Products

Phillip Chang, Founder & Chairman – Yogurtland, Irvine

Now in its 28th year, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Program.  Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2014. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum^®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are sponsored in the United States by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America. In Orange County, regional sponsors include Marsh Insurance, Union Bank, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, Cresa, Merrill DataSite, Scherzer Investigations, Smart Business magazine and HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY’s Strategic Growth Markets

EY’s Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practices guide leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary teams of elite professionals provide 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. EY 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 (http://www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets), or follow news on Twitter @EY_Growth (https://twitter.com/EY_Growth).

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

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This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.