Ben Woldring Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 TCE category

During an exciting finale of the Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 election in Rotterdam Ben Woldring of Bencom BV became the winner last Friday in the category Technology, Communication & Entertainment. Finalists in this category were Harm Altena ofKender Thijssen BV and Eddy Vermeire of The Vision Web BV.

In the category Manafacturing Wim Lemmens, of Holding Nijhuis Pompen, became the winner, whereas Paul Schouwenaar of Zeeman Groep BV received the trophy in the category Services. He was eventually named the overall Entrepreneur of the Year 2003. From the hands of the chairman of the jury, Monique Brummans (director Diemen & Van Gestel and herself Entrepreneur of the Year 2001), he received the associated Award. The finale was attended by around 250 people.

The Entrepreneur of the Year award is an initiative of Ernst & Young and is supported by the Nyenrode Business Universiteit, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Tiscali, VNO-NCW and the Dutch Association of Financing Companies (NVP). Finalists for the 2003 trophies were, divided over three categories:

Manufacturing
Wim Lemmens, Holding Nijhuis Pompen (category winner)
Reynier van Bommel, schoenfabriek Wed. J.P. van Bommel

Scarlett Kwekkeboom, Janse Istimewa Elektro
Services
Paul Schouwenaar, Zeeman Groep BV (category winner)
Arnout van Diem, BioSoil BV
Ed Voerman, Voerman International BV
Technology, Communication & Entertainment
Ben Woldring, Bencom BV (category winner)
Harm Altena, Kender Thijssen BV
Eddy Vermeire, The Vision Web BV

The Audience Award which was made available by Tiscali went this year to Scarlett Kwekkeboom.

Ernst & Young is organizing the Entrepreneur of the Year election in the Netherlands for the 9th time. The most important criteria for the jury are the way in which the entrepreneur has made its venture successfully, entrepreneurial strategy, the performances of the venture and the vision of the entrepreneur himself. Fundamental for the competition is the character of the entrepreneur. The connection between the (qualities of) the entrepreneur and his or her venture make up the basis of the research process in the competition.

The election of the Entrepreneur of the Year is a competition which is kept annually in over thirty different countries. The national winner is automatically nominated for the World Entrepreneur of The Year election, a worldwide competition with grand finale in Monaco in May 2004.

Further information can be found on the internet site of Entrepreneur of the Year.