2017 EY Entrepreneurs of the Year Finalists
Amit Gupta
Amsum & Ash—TAB
Founded: 1997
Headquarters: Minneapolis
2016 revenue: $59 million worldwide
Employees: More than 1,200 companywide; 25 in Minnesota
Mission: Amsum/TAB is one of the largest natural-stone processors in the world. Retail offerings include a selection of granite, marble, slate, quartzite, sandstone and limestone.
Joyce Brenny
Brenny Transportation Inc.
Founded: 1996
Headquarters: St. Joseph, Minn.
2017 revenue (projected): $20 million
Employees: 100
Mission: Brenny provides truckload freight hauling to 49 states and Canada. The company also provides logistics and warehouse services for global transportation needs.
Jerry Baack
Bridgewater Bank
Founded: 2005
Headquarters: Bloomington
2016 revenue: $54 million
Employees: 112
Mission: Bridgewater Bank provides banking services to consumer and commercial clients, especially entrepreneurs, which make up the bulk of the company’s shareholders.
Tom Goodmanson
Calabrio Inc.
Founded: 2007
Headquarters: Minneapolis
2016 Revenue: Undisclosed
Employees: 375 companywide; 300 in Minnesota
Mission: Calabrio is a technology company focused on creating software solutions for customer contact centers.
LiSa David
eCapital Advisors
Founded: 2001
Headquarters: Bloomington
2016 revenue: Undisclosed
Employees: 85 companywide; 65 in Minnesota
Mission: Capital Advisors is a software solutions and services company. Consultants in the performance-management services gather organizational data and create business solutions for customers.
Sabin Ephrem, Chris Staley, and Jeremy Langevin
Horizontal Integration
Founded: 2003
Headquarters: St. Louis Park
2016 revenue: $82 Million
Employees: 220 companywide; 150 in Minnesota, plus 550 active consultants
Mission: Horizontal Integration has two key service lines in digital and staffing agencies that provide digital marketing and technology expertise for Fortune 500 companies on projects and staffing solutions.
Jason Hammerberg
Humble Fashion LLC dba Hammer Made
Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Eden Prairie
2016 revenue: Undisclosed
Employees: 48
Mission: Hammer Made is a high-end men’s clothing company offering dress shirts, T-shirts, ties, pocket squares and socks. The company has 400- to 800-square-foot shops in Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta and Boston regions, with plans to expand.
Joel Theisen
Lifesprk
Founded: 2004
Headquarters: Edina
2016 revenue: $18 million
Employees: 550
Mission: Lifesprk focuses on proactive, client-focused, whole-person senior care. The company provides short- and long-term care, along with housing and caregiving solutions.
Curt Steffen and Daniel Gage
MacQueen Equipment Group
Founded: 1961
Headquarters: St. Paul
2016 Revenue: $60 million
Employees: 80 companywide; 43 in Minnesota
Mission: MacQueen Equipment Group distributes public works equipment and serves multiple heavy-equipment industries in the Midwest. The company also has five service facilities that provide maintenance, parts and training for its customers.
Eric Dayton
North Corp.
Founded: 2011
Headquarters: Minneapolis
2016 Revenue: Undisclosed
Employees: 112
Mission: North Corp. is the management company of three businesses: Askov Finlayson, the Bachelor Farmer, and Marvel Bar, all located in the North Loop of Minneapolis. The company focuses on retail and hospitality services.
Bruce Zeilinger
NXC Imaging
Founded: 1964
Headquarters: Minneapolis
2016 revenue: $120 million
Employees: 102 companywide; 53 in Minnesota
Mission: NXC Imaging is a distributor and servicer of medical equipment. The company serves clients primarily in the Midwest.
Dale Nitschke
Ovative/group
Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Minneapolis
2016 revenue: Did not respond
Employees: 103
Mission: Ovative/group is a digital marketing and measurement agency. It delivers digital consulting and services to brands, retailers and media firms.
Jamie Candee
Questar Assessment Inc.
Founded: 1976
Headquarters: Apple Valley
2016 revenue: Undisclosed
Employees: 380 full time (200 in Minnesota); 2,000-plus seasonal
Mission: Questar provides assessments to aid K-12 classroom instruction and help instructors prepare students for college or careers. The company is a subsidiary of Educational Testing Service.
Mark Summers
ThreeWire Inc.
Founded: 1999
Headquarters: Eden Prairie
2016 Revenue: Undisclosed
Employees: 125
Mission: Provides customized clinical trial recruitment, enrollment and retention solutions for pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries.
