Last modified: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Annual Indiana Entrepreneurial Leadership Awards recognizes state's most innovative companies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 23, 2008
EDITORS: A complete list of finalists follows this release. Winners in each category will be announced at the awards program on Tuesday (Oct. 28) and will be posted on the JCEI Web site on Friday (Oct. 31).
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University's Kelley School of Business will recognize nearly 60 Indiana companies as finalists at its annual Indiana Entrepreneurial Leadership Awards.
The awards banquet spotlights Indiana's top emerging companies for their growth, innovation and social enterprise. Joining with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), the IU Kelley School of Business' Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation also will honor finalists and winners from the state's Venture Idol Competition that will be held earlier on Tuesday (Oct. 28).
The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the IEDC will host the event Tuesday at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 W. Washington St., in Indianapolis. Bill Stephan, IU vice president for engagement, will provide a special welcome and report on the university's dedication to the state's growth through research and innovation.
Nate Feltman, Indiana secretary of commerce and IEDC president, and Bruce Kidd, IEDC director of small business and entrepreneurship, will serve as co-emcees of the awards portion of the program.
"Entrepreneurial companies are vital to Indiana's business community, especially in this financial climate," said Donald F. Kuratko, executive director of the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Jack M. Gill Chair of Entrepreneurship. "They have a real impact on the state's economy and business culture. We are pleased to join this year with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation in recognizing these companies. There is no question that our entrepreneurial firms are the state's future."
To be eligible for the awards, companies had to be founded by the 2005 fiscal year, be a public or private corporation with a proprietorship or partnership located in Indiana, and have revenues of more than $1 million.
Thirty-five of the companies are at least 5 years old and employ more than 10,000 people in Indiana. They have a combined revenue of $800 million.
The Indiana Entrepreneurial Awards of Distinction recognizes finalists and winners in four categories:
- The Growth Award recognizes companies with at least 35 percent growth over a two-year period.
- The Innovation Award goes to companies that pioneered new systems, products or best practices to adapt to the changing business climate.
- The Social Enterprise Award recognizes non-profit companies with social missions that have adopted entrepreneurial attributes.
- The Emerging Award recognizes companies that were selected by IEDC to participate in the Indiana Venture Idol Competition (More information available at https://www.ventureclub.org/ventureidol/index.asp).
The certified public accounting firm of Katz, Sapper & Miller audited and verified financial statements for the finalists in the growth category, requiring companies to demonstrate how they achieved their growth.
Premier Capital Corp. was the lead sponsor partner for both the Indiana Venture Idol Competition and the Indiana Entrepreneurial Leadership Awards. Katz, Sapper & Miller was the exclusive accounting firm; Backer & Daniels was the exclusive legal firm. The IU Research & Technology Corp., Monument Advisors and NASDAQ were corporate partners.
More information about the program and the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is available at the center's Web site at https://www.kelley.indiana.edu/jcei or by calling 812-855-4248.
2008 IELA Finalists
This year's 2008 IELA finalists -- listed alphabetically, within the award category and their location:
Growth
- A Packaging Systems, LLC, La Porte
- AIT Laboratories, Indianapolis
- ANGEL, Learning Indianapolis
- CIM Technology Solutions, Columbus
- Custom Mechanical Systems, Corp., Bargersville
- DEFENDER Direct, Inc., Indianapolis
- Exacq Technologies, Inc., Indianapolis
- ExactTarget, Indianapolis
- Government Payment Service Inc., Indianapolis
- Harlan Bakeries, Avon
- Keystone Construction, Indianapolis
- LGC Associates, LLC, Carmel
- Mainstreet Property Group, Cicero
- National Trade Supply Inc., Indianapolis
- Phoenix Data Corporation, Inc., Indianapolis
- T2 Systems, Inc., Indianapolis
- POLARIS Laboratories, Indianapolis
Innovation
- ANGEL Learning, Indianapolis
- BeniComp Advantage, Inc., Fort Wayne
- Brightpoint, Inc., Indianapolis
- CIM Technology Solutions, Columbus
- Harlan Bakeries, Avon
- Iasta, Carmel
- Information in Place, Inc., Bloomington
- Interactions Corp., Carmel
- Jackson Systems, Indianapolis
- Midwest Tube Mills, Inc., Madison
- Omnitech Systems, Inc., Valparaiso
- Paragon Medical, Pierceton
- Pro Winds, Bloomington
- Quadraspec, West Lafayette
- RICS Software, Indianapolis
- Server Partners, LLC, Indianapolis
- WebLink International, Avon
- Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems, Anderson
Social Enterprise
- Genesis of the YWCA, Richmond
- Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, Inc., Indianapolis
Emerging Companies
- Afterimage GIS, Muncie
- DigitalHydraulic, LLC, Fort Wayne
- Ecotots, Indianapolis
- Fast Forensics, LLC, West Lafayette
- ImmuneWorks, Inc., Indianapolis
- Indy Power Systems, Noblesville
- Knowrtal LLC, West Lafayette
- Matrix-Bio, Inc., West Lafayette
- Morris Innovative, Bloomington
- My Health Care Manager, LLC, Indianapolis
- Nanovis, Inc., West Lafayette
- OBS Medical, Carmel
- OrthoPediatrics, Warsaw
- ParaPro, Carmel
- Rfware LLC, South Bend
- Scale Computing, Indianapolis
- Solstice Medical, Fort Wayne
- SONICU, Anderson
- TrustBearer Labs, Fort Wayne
- Vasc Alert West, Lafayette
- Zurex Pharma, Inc., Lafayette
