Honoring Founders and Leaders

Each year Ernst & Young sponsors its worldwide Entrepreneur Of The Year awards to honor those individuals who have launched or led businesses that provide outstanding goods and services. This month, awards are being presented at banquets in New Jersey and 35 other regions of the country. The U.S.

Last week, at a black-tie dinner at the Glenpointe Marriott Hotel in Teaneck, Ernst & Young presented its New Jersey region awards to the founders and leaders of nine companies selected from 27 finalists. They were drawn from fields ranging from consumer products to the life sciences to financial services. Each finalist is profiled in the pages of this supplement and all winners become lifetime members of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame.

This year's awards included a special citation sponsored by Microsoft for companies with a unique or particularly interesting technology. Entrants were required to have been in business for at least three years, to have increasing revenue and to have fewer than 100 employees.

Last week's finalists were evaluated against criteria that included the extent of the risks that the companies have taken and the obstacles they have overcome. Also considered by an independent panel of judges were the vision, innovation, creativity and persistence that the finalists have displayed.

For all the entrepreneurs and leaders, last week's gala represented recognition for their long hours of work and successful efforts to anticipate changing economic conditions and business trends. Such efforts have been especially intense in recent years as the economy has shifted from high gear to low and finally begun to accelerate once again. Confronting such changes is part of what makes organizing and running a business exciting activities to engage in.

Ernst & Young would like to extend their thanks to the 2004 New Jersey Entrepreneur Of The Year distinguished panel of judges who gave freely of their time to select the 2004 New Jersey Entrepreneur Of The Year Award recipients.

JUDGES 2004

MS. VIRGINIA ALLING

Vice President

PNC Bank

MR. MICHAEL DRISCOLL

Managing Director

NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.

MS. CAREN S. FRANZINI

Chief Executive Officer

NJ Economic Development Authority

MR. STEPHEN J. GAMBALE

Senior Vice President

Marsh USA, Inc.

MR. JIM GUNTON

General Partner

NJTC Venture Fund

MR. STEVE KALAFER

Chairman

Flemington Car & Truck Country

MR. GREGRORY MURPHY

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

Selective Insurance Group, Inc.