Seven Colorado businessmen have been recognized by business and tax consultants Ernst & Young LLP as their entrepreneurs of the year for the Rocky Mountain region.
“We would all do well to emulate their determination and enthusiasm,” said Jim Wilson, the firm’s regional program director.
Winners are eligible for the company’s national entrepreneur of the year award in November.
Awards were given in the following categories:
Services: Frank Backes, chief executive of Braxton Technologies. The Colorado Springs-based company makes software products for space and weapons systems. The U.S. Department of Defense and NASA are among its clients.
Consumer products: Barry Cooper, chairman and chief executive of Cooper Tea Co. in Boulder. Raised in Africa, Cooper created his own brewing firm after stints with Celestial Seasonings and Lipton.
Emerging business: Dan Caruso, president and chief executive of Zayo Group, a Louisville-based telecom firm Caruso joined after a stint launching Level 3 Communications.
Real estate and construction services: Robert Levitt, president of Hudspeth & Associates in Englewood, a remediation services company with 140 employees. It’s best known for working with homebuilders to solve mold problems.
Health care and medical equipment: David Chernow, president and chief executive of Oncure Medical Corp., a national network of cancer-treatment centers headquartered in Englewood.
Technology: John Tredennick, chief executive of Catalyst Repository Systems, based in Denver, a secure repository managing storage for complex legal cases.
Communications: Roy Dimoff, chief executive and chairman of ViaWest Inc. in Denver, the largest private data center and managed service provider in five states, including Colorado.
