EY Announces Benjamin Bachman of Gerflor as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Midwest Award Finalist

 Bolingbrook, IL (April 23, 2024) – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that CEO, Benjamin Bachman of Gerflor USA was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Midwest Award finalist. The Midwest program celebrates entrepreneurs from Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Now in its 38th year, Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive business award for audacious leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize sectors and have a transformational impact on lives. Over the past four decades, the program has recognized the daring entrepreneurs with big ideas and bold actions that reshape our world. 

Benjamin Bachman was one of 30 regional entrepreneurs selected as finalists by an independent panel of judges. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes. 

"I am deeply honored to be nominated for the Entrepreneur of The Year® Program," said Benjamin Bachman, CEO of Gerflor North America. "This nomination is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Gerflor team. I am excited about the opportunity to share my entrepreneurial journey." 

Gerflor North America, a confluence of innovation and performance, operates four manufacturing sites across Utah, Michigan, and Georgia, and three logistics facilities in Philly, Montreal, and the Chicago area. At the heart of our operations is our Bolingbrook, IL headquarters, 'The Court', a state-of-the-art, open, and collaborative space. Our diverse brand portfolio includes Gerflor, Sport Court, Connor Sports, Stagestep, and SnapLock Industries, positioning us as market leaders in healthcare, industry, sports, dance, transportation, and garage segments. With over 500 dedicated associates, we’re proud to be the trusted supplier for the March Madness, NCAA®, and Final Four events. 

Gerflor Group, a leading provider of innovative flooring solutions, with a presence spanning 100 countries and a workforce exceeding 5,000, is renowned for its commitment to excellence and innovation. For details, contact us at 877-437-3,567 | [email protected] or visit gerflorusa.com | sportcourt.com | connorsports.com | stagestep.com | snaplock.com. 

Entrepreneur Of The Year honors many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from 

inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to fortify it for the future. 

Regional award winners will be announced on June 12th during a special celebration and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the National judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. 

In addition to Entrepreneur Of The Year, EY US supports other entrepreneurs through the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program and the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network to help connect women founders and Black and Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurs, respectively, with the resources, network and access needed to unlock their full potential. 

Sponsors 

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, Marsh USA, SAP and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In the Midwest, sponsors also include regional Platinum sponsor LaSalle Network, regional Gold sponsor Becker, and regional Silver sponsor ADP. 

About Entrepreneur Of The Year® 

Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year® has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally. 

The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy. 

About EY 

EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. 

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. 

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. 

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