Lexington native among winners of Entrepreneur of the Year Heartland award

kAmt=: |2=@=6J :D E96 rt~ @7 ':G24:EJ %649 !qr[ 32D65 :? $E] !2F=[ |:??][ H9:49 :D 2 ?2E:@?2= =6256C :? AC@G:5:?8 @?6\@?\@?6 r9C@>63@@< D@=FE:@?D E@ z\`a D49@@=D]k^Am

kAm|2=@=6J :D 2 {6I:?8E@? ?2E:G6[ 92G:?8 8C@H? FA :? E96 2C62[ 7:CDE 2EE6?5:?8 2 CFC2= D49@@= 5:DEC:4E H96C6 96 H2D E96 @?=J DEF56?E :? 9:D D:IE9 8C256 4=2DD] w6 H@F=5 =2E6C 8C25F2E6 7C@> {6I:?8E@? w:89 $49@@= :? a__c]k^Am

kAm&A@? 8C25F2E:@?[ |2=@=6J D6CG65 D6G6C2= J62CD :? E96 }2E:@?2= vF2C5]k^Am

kAmuC@> a__f E@ a_`_[ |2=@=6J DA6?E E:>6 :? ?@CE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 H96C6 96 4FE 9:D E66E9 H:E9 2 $:=:4@? '2==6J DE2CEFA 4@>A2?J]k^Am

kAm$:=:4@? '2==6J[ :? E96 D@FE96C? $2? uC2?4:D4@ q2J pC62 @7 r2=:7@C?:2[ :D 9@>6 E@ >2?J DE2CE\FA 2?5 8=@32= E649?@=@8J 4@>A2?:6D] pAA=6[ u2463@@< 2?5 v@@8=6 2C6 2>@?8 E96 >@DE AC@>:?6?E]k^Am

kAm|2=@=6J 96=A65 E@ 7@F?5 2 E649?@=@8J 4@>A2?J :? a_``] p7E6C D6G6C2= J62CD 96 =67E E96 4@>A2?J E@ 7@F?5 ':G24:EJ %649 :? pAC:= a_`g] |2=@=6J ?@E65 E96J DE2CE65 H:E9 7@FC 6>A=@J66D 3FE ?@H 92G6 `c_ 6>A=@J66D 2E D:E6D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am

kAm%96 4@>A2?J :D 32D65 :? $E] !2F= 3FE 92D 2 32D6 :? vC66?G:==6[ $]r][ H96C6 |2=@=6J 4FCC6?E=J C6D:56D] %96 4@>A2?J ;FDE 24BF:C65 2 =@42E:@? :? r9:428@ 2?5 :D D6E E@ DE2CE 2 =62D6 7@C 2 DA246 :? s6?G6C :? pF8FDE]k^Am

kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ AC@G:5:?8 r9C@>63@@<D E@ D49@@=D ?2E:@?H:56[ |2=@=6J D2:5 E96J >2?F724EFC6 E96:C @H? =:?6 @7 42CED[ 42D6D 2?5 r9C@>63@@< 2446DD@C:6D 2?5 56G6=@A E96:C @H? D@7EH2C6] %96J 2=D@ 56G6=@A 4FCC:4F=F> C6=2E65 E@ 4@>AFE6CD 7@C DEF56?ED]k^Am

kAm%96 4@>A2?J 5@6D?’E @FED@FC46 2?J AC6\ @C A@DE\D2=6 D6CG:46D[ @776C:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> =2D6C 6E49:?8 E@ 2DD6E >2?286>6?E D@7EH2C6]k^Am

kAm“pD E96 @?=J AF3=:4 36?67:E 4@CA@C2E:@? :? E96 :?5FDECJ E@ AC@G:56 92C5H2C6 E@ D49@@=D[ ':G24:EJ %649 !qr :D A2DD:@?2E6 23@FE 8:G:?8 324< 2 A@CE:@? @7 :ED AC@7:ED[ E:>6 2?5 6?6C8J E@ 6?DFC6 @FC ?2E:@?’D D49@@=D DF44665[” 244@C5:?8 E@ tC?DE U2>Aj *@F?8 {{! Wt*X H9@ 5:DEC:3FE6 E96 t?EC6AC6?6FC @7 E96 *62C 2H2C5D]k^Am

kAm“%9:D J62C 2=@?6[ E96J’G6 5@?2E65 E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD’ H@CE9 @7 E649?@=@8J[ G@=F?E66C65 E@ 96=A %649 s:C64E@CD D6E FA G:CEF2= =62C?:?8 4=2DDC@@>D 2?5 DA@?D@C65 AC@76DD:@?2= 56G6=@A>6?E @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C 3=24< 65F42E@CD :? F?56CAC:G:=6865 5:DEC:4ED[” A6C t*k^Am

kAm“%96 t?EC6AC6?6FC ~7 %96 *62C AC@8C2> 92D 366? 46=63C2E:?8 E96 2>3:E:@FD G:D:@?2C:6D H9@ 2C6 =625:?8 DF446DD7F=[ 5J?2>:4 3FD:?6DD6D 7@C ?62C=J 7@FC 564256D] u@F?565 :? `hge[ E96 AC@8C2> 92D C64@8?:K65 >@C6 E92? `_[___ 6?EC6AC6?6FCD E9C@F89@FE E96 &$ 2?5 92D 6IA2?565 E@ ?62C=J e_ 4@F?EC:6D 8=@32==J[” A6C E96 t* H63D:E6]k^Am

kAm%96 w62CE=2?5 AC@8C2> :?4=F56D s2<@E2D[ x@H2[ z2?D2D[ |:??6D@E2[ |:DD@FC: 2?5 }63C2D<2]k^Am

kAm“%9:D 8C@FA @7 2>3:E:@FD 6?EC6AC6?6FC:2= =6256CD H2D D6=64E65 3J 2? :?56A6?56?E ;F58:?8 A2?6= >256 FA @7 AC6G:@FD 2H2C5 H:??6CD[ =625:?8 rt~D[ :?G6DE@CD 2?5 @E96C C68:@?2= 3FD:?6DD =6256CD] w62CE=2?5 2H2C5 H:??6CD H6C6 F?G6:=65 5FC:?8 2 DA64:2= 46=63C2E:@? @? yF?6 g[ a_ab E@ 9@?@C 2?5 46=63C2E6 E96D6 3FD:?6DD =6256CD H9@ 2C6 3F:=5:?8 2 >@C6 6BF:E23=6[ DFDE2:?23=6 2?5 AC@DA6C@FD H@C=5 7@C 2==[” A6C 2? t* AC6DD C6=62D6]k^Am

kAm(96? 2D<65 23@FE E96 2H2C5[ |2=@=6J D2:5 E96C6 :D 2 =6?8E9J 2AA=:42E:@? AC@46DD[ 244@>A2?:65 3J 2 566A 5:G6 @7 E96 4@>A2?J 7:?2?46D] %96C6 :D E96? 2 EH@ 9@FC :?E6CG:6H H:E9 2? :?56A6?56?E A2?6= @7 ;F586D]k^Am

kAmu@==@H:?8 E9:D[ E96 =:DE @7 w62CE=2?5 2AA=:42?ED :D E96? 4F==65 E@ b_ 7:?2=:DED] |2=@=6J 2?5 9:D 4@>A2?J >256 E96 4FE]k^Am

kAm“%96 42?5:52E6D H6C6 6G2=F2E65 32D65 @? E96:C 56>@?DEC2E:@? @7 3F:=5:?8 =@?8\E6C> G2=F6 E9C@F89 6?EC6AC6?6FC:2= DA:C:E[ AFCA@D6[ 8C@HE9 2?5 :>A24E[ 2>@?8 @E96C 4@C6 4@?EC:3FE:@?D 2?5 2EEC:3FE6D[” A6C E96 t* C6=62D6]k^Am

kAmw6 E96? E@@< A2CE :? 2 `d >:?FE6[ “$92C< %2?<” :?E6CG:6H H9:49 :?4=F565 C2A:5 7:C6 BF6DE:@?D 7C@> A2DE H:??6CD[ 2?5 u@CEF?6 d__ 4@>A2?J C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D] “%9:D H2D E96 =2DE 492?46 E@ AC@G6 >JD6=7[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmxE H2D ?@E65 E9:D H2D E96 D64@?5 9:896DE J62C 7@C w62CE=2?5 2AA=:42?ED 2?5 E92E :E :D C2C6 7@C 2 7:CDE E:>6 2AA=:42?E E@ H:? E96 2H2C5] w@H6G6C[ |2=@=6J H2D D6=64E65 2D @?6 @7 E96 `a H:??6CD]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ J62C[ H6 2C6 4@>A=6E6=J 3=@H? 2H2J 3J E96 244@>A=:D9>6?ED @7 @FC t?EC6AC6?6FC ~7 %96 *62C #68:@?2= pH2C5 H:??6CD[ 2?5 a_ab :D ?@ 5:776C6?E[” D2:5 py y@C52?[ t* p>6C:42D t?EC6AC6?6FC ~7 %96 *62C !C@8C2> s:C64E@C] “%96J 2C6 492?86\>2<6CD 2?5 492>A:@?D @7 3FD:?6DD 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 H6 2C6 D@ AC@F5 E@ 36 9@?@C:?8 E96>] (6 42?’E H2:E E@ D66 9@H E96D6 =6256CD H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ :>AC@G6 =:G6D 2?5 5:DCFAE :?5FDEC:6D]”k^Am

kAm%96 C68:@?2= H:??6CD H:== ?6IE 36 4@?D:56C65 3J E96 }2E:@?2= ;F586D 7@C E96 t?EC6AC6?6FC ~7 %96 *62C }2E:@?2= pH2C5D[ H9:49 H:== 36 AC6D6?E65 :? }@G6>36C :? r2=:7@C?:2]k^Am

kAm(96? 2D<65 23@FE 9:D E9@F89ED @? 62C?:?8 E96 2H2C5[ |2=@=6J ?@E65 E92E 9:D A66CD H9@ 2=D@ H@? C6AC6D6?E[ “2 =@7EJ =:DE @7 6I46==6?E 7@F?56CD]”k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 :E 92D?’E ;FDE 366? E96 =2DE 7:G6 J62CD[ E96 A2DE 564256 96 92D DA6?E E@ 86E 9:>D6=7 E@ H96C6 96 H2D ?@H] %@ C646:G6 E9:D <:?5 @7 C64@8?:E:@? H2D “6IEC6>6=J 8C2E:7J:?8 2?5 C62DDFC:?8]”k^Am

kAm|2=@=6J 92D ?@E 7@C8@EE6? 9:D C@@ED 2?5 D2:5 96 @H6D >F49 E@ E96 {6I:?8E@? 4@>>F?:EJ 7@C 9:D FA3C:?8:?8 2?5 :?DE:==:?8 :? 9:> 2 H@C< 6E9:4 E92E 92D 96=A65 42CCJ 9:> E@ H96C6 96 :D 2E E@52J]k^Am

kAm“x 2> 8C2E67F= 7@C >J FA3C:?8:?8[” 96 D2:5]k^Am