5 Triad Finalists Announced For The Carolinas' Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2004 Award; Award Recipients to be Announced at the Awards Banquet on June 17, 2004.

Business Editors

GREENSBORO, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2004

Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP along with sponsors Bank of America, Marsh, the Triangle Business Journal and Womble Carlyle announced today the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2004 Awards in the Carolinas. An independent panel of judges comprised of local community and business leaders selected the 24 finalists. Winners will be announced at an awards banquet on June 17, 2004 at the Westin Charlotte.

The Carolinas' finalists for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year are:

-- James Arnold; APEX Analytix; Greensboro, NC

-- Richard Brenner; Amarr Garage Doors; Winston Salem, NC

-- Louis DeJoy; New Breed Inc.; Greensboro, NC

-- James Ridinger; Market America, Inc.; Greensboro, NC

-- Paul Sohmer; TriPath Imaging, Inc.; Burlington, NC

-- Miles Busby; Source Technologies; Charlotte, NC

-- Mike Cianciarulo & Roger Derrough; Earth Fare, Inc.;

Asheville, NC

-- James Joseph Drury; Bojangles Restaurants; Charlotte, NC

-- John Forlines; Bank of Granite; Granite Falls, NC

-- Richard Johnson; American Tire Distributors, Inc.;

Huntersville, NC

-- Brice Bay; 10Best.com, Inc.; Greenville, SC

-- Hal Campbell; ACS Technologies; Florence, SC

-- John Campbell; Campbell Alliance; Raleigh, NC

-- Martin Eakes; Self-Help; Durham, NC

-- Reginald Fountain; Fountain Powerboat Industries; Washington,

NC

-- Robert Hatley; Paragon Commercial Bank; Raleigh, NC

-- Philip Horn; RoHoHo, Inc.; Charleston, SC

-- Rashid Khan; Ultimus, Inc.; Cary, NC

-- Dennis McLain; Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina;

Durham, NC

-- Jeffrey "Chad" Odom; Innovative Container; Greenville, SC

-- Henry Poston; Palmetto Synthetics; Kingstree, SC

-- Kay Wagoner; Icagen, Inc.; Durham, NC

-- Todd Eischeid, Chad Walldorf & Jeff Goldstein; Sticky Fingers

RibHouse; Mt. Pleasant, SC

-- Scot Wingo; ChannelAdvisor Corporation; Morrisville, NC

The Carolinas' winners will be eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young 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, Calif., in November 2004.

For reservations for the awards banquet on June 17, 2004, contact Linsey Dyson of Ernst & Young at (800-745-4199 or [e-mail] by June 10. Tickets are $150 per person. For more information about the awards program, visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

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 advisory services. 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 call Linsey Dyson at [phone] as soon as possible to request a complimentary reservation. Press credentials must be presented.