Orange County Register

Eight local business executives are among the 2009 winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards for the Orange County/Desert Cities region announced last night at the Hyatt Regency Irvine hotel.

The awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to long-time Orange County residents Kenneth, Daniel and Henry Walker of Farmers & Merchants Bank, which is based in Long Beach.

Other regional winners are:

• Technology: Jared Pobre, CEO, Future Ads LLC, Irvine
• Construction: David Suder, CEO/president, KHS&S Contractors, Inc., Anaheim
• Healthcare Services: Sheldon Razin, chairman, Quality Systems, Inc., Irvine
• Services: Brian Cescolini and Steve Jones, Co-CEOs, Universal Services of America, Santa Ana
• Retail-Consumer Products: Kerstin Block, president, Buffalo Exchange, Tucson, Ariz.
• Emerging Entrepreneur: Todd Davis, CEO, LifeLock, Tempe, Ariz.

“We congratulate these entrepreneurs on their significant achievements,” said Kim Letch, program director for Orange County/Desert Cities. “The Entrepreneur Of The Year award salutes their efforts in business excellence and community improvement. We would all do well to emulate their determination and enthusiasm.”

The region covers Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and all of Arizona. Regional award recipients are eligible for national honors that will be presented at Ernst & Young’s Strategic Growth Forum Nov. 14 in Palm Springs.

Other entrepreneur stories…

• Tori Spelling chooses glam hospital gown by O.C. firm
• Britney Spears’ tour uses O.C. firm’s security badges
• O.C. college student creates job-rating Web site
• 20 ‘Great Workplaces’ worldwide: O.C. has one
• O.C. company a finalist for $25,000 prize
• Group wants separate O.C. i.d. on LinkedIn
• 2 O.C. companies team up to boost elder fitness
• O.C. owner saves business an ounce at a time
• Brothers sue brothers over use of the family name
• O.C. innovators outperform the stock market in ‘09
• O.C. firm survives, ‘no matter what’
• Last independent kids’ bookstore to close in north O.C.
• Serial plaintiff in disability lawsuits drops O.C. deli action
• O.C. company acquires pay-at-the-pump technology
• O.C. firm learned from past bankruptcy
• O.C. firm makes bats for Major League players

This is the 23rd year that Ernst & Young has presented the Entrepreneur of the Year awards, which are now presented in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

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