World Pac Paper CEO is Honored as the Lifetime Achievement Award Winner for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2015 Ohio Valley Program
Exemplary entrepreneurs were honored at program’s gala event
CINCINNATI, OH (June 5, 2015) Ernst & Young (EY) is pleased to announce the winners of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in the Ohio Valley region. This group of leading entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous winners of the award, leading CEO’s, private capital investors and other regional business leaders. The winners were revealed at a special gala on June 4 at the Hyatt Regency in Cincinnati, entertainingly hosted by Marty Grunder, President & CEO of Grunder Landscaping Co. and 2001 Entrepreneur Of The Year Award Winner. Edgar L. Smith, Jr., the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cincinnati-based World Pac Paper, LLC was among the evening’s winners and was awarded the top honor as the Lifetime Achievement Winner by EY.
“EY has honored outstanding entrepreneurs for the past 29 years,” said Rich Mitchell, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director for Ohio Valley. “These winners are accomplished leaders who have contributed a tremendous amount to their communities.”
Now in its 29th year, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 145 cities in 60 countries throughout the world. Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall National Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 14, 2015. The US Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner then moves on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Monaco, June 2016. Additionally, venture-backed companies that win an Entrepreneur Of The Year Award regionally are also eligible for the Venture Capital Award of Excellence at the national level. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.
Edgar Smith, of the eleven (11) year old World Pac Paper, was among the 9 winners of the evening in the categories of Biotech, Diversified Services, Emerging, Industrial Products & Services, Manufacturing Solutions, Services, Technology and Real Estate Design Construction & Lodging. He was nominated for this prestigious award by Jill Meyer, Member-in-Charge of the Cincinnati office of Frost Brown Todd, LLC. Edgar was presented his Lifetime Achievement EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award by Kay Geiger, Regional President of PNC Bank, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky.
The evening was filled with inspiring, intriguing and innovative entrepreneurial stories, as each Finalist was presented to the, approximately 450, member gala audience. Smith’s story was no different and he shared his experience from the inception of the company to the present day growing entity. He acknowledged his company’s wonderful and most valued customers, as well as his dedicated and experienced team at World Pac Paper, LLC. They get it done and deliver value day-in and day-out!.
Smith said “I was so surprised and elated to, not only become an EY Entrepreneur of the Year®, but to be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award! It truly was so much more than I could have ever envisioned.” He went on to thank the sponsors, his nominator and the judges for this significant distinction. Lastly, Smith provided a heartwarming story of his supportive wife, Dr. Toni Robinson-Smith, who gave up her academic medical practice to join him at World Pac Paper, to support him and to use her professional skills to help World Pac Paper become the successful company it is today. Smith noted receiving this Lifetime Achievement Award isn’t the end of his efforts to continue to grow World Pac Paper. As an entrepreneur, he remains focused on growth, learning and continuous improvements. Smith believes his growth, the growth of his people and the long term growth of the company is key to their sustainable performance.
Sponsors of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2015 Ohio Valley Award
Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America. In Ohio Valley, sponsors also include Frost Brown Todd, Merrill Corporation, PNC, CincyTech, Scripps, Cincinnati Business Courier, Columbus Business First and Louisville Business First.
About World Pac Paper, LLC
World Pac Paper, LLC was incorporated in 2004. It is an award winning, performance based, mill-direct global distributor of high quality printing & packaging papers and innovative packaging solutions with smart, strategic focused warehousing. World Pac Paper, LLC serves the Fortune 500/1000, commercial printers, catalogers, book and magazine publishers, integrated and independent corrugated converters, folding carton box manufacturers, tube winders, laminators and paper converters. World Pac Paper is an Inc.500, BE100 and IC100 company. It is also a certified minority business enterprise (MBE) and National Corporate Plus® member of the National Minority Supplier Development council (NMSDC). We welcome you to visit http://www.worldpacpaper.com for more information about World Pac Paper, LLC.
About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.
For additional information, please contact:
Marie Diuquid
World Pac Paper, LLC
(513) 779-9595
Kay Geiger, Regional President of PNC Bank, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky (sponsor and presenter) with Edgar L. Smith, Jr., Founder, Chairman and CEO of World Pac Paper, LLC holding Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year [Lifetime Achievement] Award – Hyatt Regency – Cincinnati, Ohio June 4, 2015