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Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP announced today the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2004 Awards in Southern Ohio and Kentucky. An independent panel of judges comprised of local community and business leaders selected the 27 finalist companies. Award recipients will be announced at a black-tie awards banquet on June 24 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

The Southern Ohio and Kentucky finalists for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year are:

Distribution

DBS Trading, Inc., Dennis Smith, Cincinnati, Ohio
Residential Services Group, Inc., Eric Salzer, Dayton, Ohio
Total Quality Logistics, Inc., Ken Oaks and Ryan Legg, Cincinnati, Ohio

Manufacturing

Down Lite International, Larry Werthaiser, Marvin Werthaiser and Bob Altbaier, Cincinnati, Ohio
ISCO Industries, LLC, James Kirchdorfer, Jr., Louisville, Kentucky
TSS Technologies, Brent Nichols, Cincinnati, Ohio

Media/Marketing

Barefoot, Inc., Douglas Worple, Cincinnati, Ohio
The E.W. Scripps Company, Kenneth Lowe, Cincinnati, Ohio
Strategic Marketing, Inc., Todd Strause, Louisville, Kentucky
Michael J. Burke Award for Supporter of Entrepreneurship
Robert Saunders, Chrysalis Ventures, LLC, Louisville, Kentucky

Realizing Business Potential

Advanced Imaging Concepts, Inc., Jeff Amrein, John Reinhart, Ed Kenney and Jim Orms, Louisville, Kentucky
Advant-e Corporation, Jason Wadzinski, Dayton, Ohio
Making Everlasting Memories, LLC, Scott Mindrum, Cincinnati, Ohio
TubeMaster, Inc., Cliff Johns, Louisville, Kentucky

Retail

Gilligan Oil Company, Patrick Gilligan, Cincinnati, Ohio
J. Thomas & Co., Inc., Judith Thomas Blanton, Dayton, Ohio
Thornton Oil Corporation, Matthew Thornton, Louisville, Kentucky

Services

Carew International, Jeffrey Seeley, Cincinnati, Ohio
CK Franchising, Inc., Jerry Clum, Dayton, Ohio
Summit Energy Services, Inc., James Headlee, Louisville, Kentucky

Socially Responsible

Michael Davis and Douglas Cobb, Appriss, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky

Technology

Atricure, Inc., Michael Hooven, West Chester, Ohio
CDO Technologies, Inc. Alphonso Wofford, Dayton, Ohio
Cincom Systems, Inc., Thomas Nies, Cincinnati, Ohio

Master

Sam Swope Auto Group, Samuel Swope, Louisville, Kentucky
Thor Industries, Inc., Wade Thompson, Jackson Center, Ohio
T&WA, Inc., Tommie Burns, Jr., Louisville, Kentucky

Southern Ohio and Kentucky award recipients will be eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2004 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 2004.

Contact Beth Kaufhold of Ernst & Young at 800-746-9417 or beth.kaufhold@ey.com to make reservations for the awards banquet. Tickets are $175 per person. For more information about the awards program, visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards is nationally sponsored by Microsoft Corporation and the Kauffman Foundation. The Cincinnati Business Courier; Keating, Muething, & Kelkamp PLL; The Kentucky Office for the New Economy; and The Ohio Department of Development. Recipients of the Entrepreneur Of The Year award become lifetime members of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame.

About The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards Program

The 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 services. Ernst & Young practices also provide legal services in those parts of the world where permitted. 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.

Note to Editors: Media are invited to attend the awards banquet for interview and photo opportunities. Please contact Elizabeth Walter at 513-612-1596 as soon as possible to request a complimentary reservation. Press credentials must be presented.