FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2005

For more information: Julia Rademacher, jrademacher@adelmanmail.com or 414-410-8322

Winners of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Announced in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE, June 16, 2005 – Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP announced today the winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards in Wisconsin. All of the winners were selected by a panel of independent judges.

The recipients of Wisconsin’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year are:

• Business & Consumer Services—Craig B. Adelman, Adelman Travel Group (Milwaukee) —Adelman Travel has become a one-stop shop for business and leisure travelers, and is the largest travel agency in Wisconsin and the 8th largest in the country.
• Commercial Manufacturing & Distribution, Dr. Gary L. Kramer, Badger State Ethanol (Monroe) —Former veterinarian and agriculture expert, Kramer believes ethanol is the clean-burning fuel of the future. The company is working on an expansion project that will allow them to create six useful by-products in its production process and plans to open a filling station offering fuel that is 85% ethanol for use in "flexible-fuel" vehicles.
• Communication & Marketing Services—John Charleston & Lyle Orwig, Charleston/Orwig, Inc. (Hartland) —Recently named one of the best places to work by Milwaukee Magazine, Charleston/Orwig is a full-service marketing and communications agency with a national presence.
• Consumer Manufacturing—Brett Smith, S & S Cycle, Inc. (Viola)—With a goal of making motorcycles go faster, S & S future plans include leading the powersports industry in designing, producing, and marketing high-performance products and assemblies.
• Consumer Products & Retail, Craig Culver & Lea Culver, Culver Franchising System, Inc. (Prairie du Sac)—What began as a single family-run restaurant in 1984 has grown into one of the country's fastest-growing restaurant chains with 286 restaurants in 15 states.

• Transportation—Randy Marten, Marten Transport, Ltd. (Mondovi) —Under Randy Marten's leadership, his company has grown from a small, regional carrier into a leading public national protective service transportation company with 2,000+ employees and 550 independent contractors.
• Turnaround—Robert Arzbaecher, Acutant Corporation (Milwaukee) —Actuant is global manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of industrial products and systems.

“Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and determination necessary to achieve success,” said Jim Andreucci, Jr., Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director. “Ernst & Young is proud of its history recognizing and supporting these outstanding leaders and their companies.”

Wisconsin winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2005 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 2005.  The overall national Entrepreneur Of The Year Award recipient is then considered for the world event held in Monte Carlo.

Sponsorship

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young, The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Wisconsin is nationally sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and regionally sponsored by Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., Clifton Gunderson LLP, and The Business Journal. 

About The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Program

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 100 cities and 35 countries.

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 100,000 people in 140 countries pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism in providing a range of sophisticated services centered on our core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions.  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.