Eleven area entrepreneurs are named finalists for Ernst & Young award

Eleven small business executives from the Kansas City area on Tuesday were named regional finalists for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.

The awards program, now in its 28th year, recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and success in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their business and community. Award winners will be announced June 19 at an event at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel.

Ernst & Young named 23 finalists from Missouri and Kansas.

The area finalists are Steven St. Peter, Aratana Therapeutics Inc., Kansas City, Kan.; Adam Blake, Brightergy, Kansas City; Greg Graves, Burns & McDonnell; Byron Thompson, Country Club Bank, Kansas City; Bob Taylor, Executive AirShare Corp., Kansas City; Michael Kulp, KBP Foods, Overland Park; Mike Valentine, Netsmart Technologies, Overland Park; Nathaniel Hagedorn, Northpoint Development Co., Riverside; Smitty Belcher, P1 Group Inc., Lenexa; Andy Fromm, Service Management Group Inc., Kansas City; and Els Thermote, TVH Parts Co., Olathe.

Regional winners are eligible for the accounting firm’s national entrepreneur of the year program.

This story was originally published April 22, 2014 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Eleven area entrepreneurs are named finalists for Ernst & Young award."