Entrepreneur Award Luncheon

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"We believe it is important for companies to be active in the community in which they do business. That is why we are so involved in the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce. It is critical to our success as a business."
- Jason Piasecki
Qonverge

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A special thanks to the more than 250 people who attended the 2010 Entrepreneur Award Luncheon! It was a great event, highlighted by Dan McKinnon of Graphics House and GH Express winning the 2010 Entrepreneur Award.

We'd also like to recognize the exceptionally strong field of outstanding entrepreneurs: Bill Cooper of AMG Business Center, Jason Piasecki of Qonverge Marketing and Eric Ringelberg of Next I.T.

Dan McKinnon accepts the big award

Nominee Eric Ringelberg of
NEXT I.T. and wife, Michelle

Jerry Wiersma, Jr., encourages Muskegon
youth to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities

Dan McKinnon, center, with the team of
Dion Ferrier and Chad Townsend, the first-
ever Young Entrepreneur Award winners!

Nominee Jason Piasecki of Qonverge Marketing
with family following the award presentations

Nominee Bill Cooper of AMG Business Center with
his wife, Wendi

2010 ENTREPRENEUR AWARD LUNCHEON

A Passion for Business
Generates Momentum for Success!

The Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to the 2010 Entrepreneur Award Luncheon at the Muskegon Country Club. This event celebrates entrepreneurs whose innovation, creativity and determination are shaping a better tomorrow.

Reasons to attend:

Find out who wins the 2010 Entrepreneur Award
Network in the Muskegon Business Community
Enjoy a break from the grind with a great lunch at the Muskegon Country Club

The finalists are:

(Scroll down for candidate profiles)

Jason Piasecki, owner of the marketing firm Qonverge
Dan McKinnon, owner of Graphics House and GH Express
Eric Ringelberg, owner of NEXT I.T.
Bill Cooper, owner of the AMG Business Center of Muskegon

The Chamber received 13 nominations from the community and a review committee comprised of past award recipients had the task of narrowing the list to four finalists. The candidates were evaluated on several factors, including growth in sales, innovation, staying power, employee relations, respect for the environment, response to adversity and contributions to the community.

Event Details:

Thursday, March 18, 2010

noon—1:30pm

Muskegon Country Club

2801 Lakeshore Drive

Cost: $25/member, $35/future members

Reserve a Corporate Table of 8 for $185—premier, reserved seating!

Or a Group Table of 4 for $90—reserved seating!

CLICK HERE FOR EVENT FLYER

About the finalists

Bill Cooper, AMG Business Center

Founder of several successful business ventures, including Billy the Printer, Omni Fitness Club and AMG Business Center
Current venture, AMG Business Center, has 85 percent occupancy
Business center offers affordable office space to start-ups and more elaborate space for established companies; this model helps businesses gain exposure
The business offers a unique atmosphere with a shared receptionist, conference rooms, printers, fax and WiFi
Bill believes strongly that his business will survive, even as other business centers are failing and falling into bankruptcy
Launched the charity “Thanks A Million West Michigan,” which includes a semi-tractor trailer he purchased to transport donated food to distribution sites

Dan McKinnon, Graphics House and GH Express

Dan has been in business his entire adult life, opting out of college to pursue entrepreneurial interests
Dan has invested millions in upgrading technology, including the installation of off-set printers and digital format printers for billboards and bus wraps
His various businesses employ 55 people, offering “good benefits” and reward programs like “Employee of the Month” and employee appreciation parties
In the face of the recession, McKinnon has doubled his advertising budget; and it’s working, his companies landed more new customers in 2009 than any other year
He is heavily involved in the Christian Unity Music Festival and other charitable organizations
His GH Wireless stores are doing well, despite the national struggles of the NEXTEL brand

Jason Piasecki, Qonverge

Jason has re-invested in his company during the recession, hiring four new full-time employees
He convinced clients in the mid-nineties to launch web sites before it was a common practice in the marketing world
Qonverge recently opened a satellite office in Grand Rapids, but Jason remains committed to keeping the company headquarters in downtown Muskegon
Jason has embraced new media like podcasts, video blogging and other forms of marketing; he has invested heavily in technology to make that happen
He does not rely on credit to invest in his business, which allows him to remain financially solid
Jason helps several nonprofits by offering services at reduced rates; re-investing in nonprofits benefits everyone in the community

Eric Ringelberg, NEXT I.T.

Eric is constantly exploring new technologies to keep his business on the cutting edge, including remote access support that allows his technicians to help clients without leaving the office
He has “re-tooled” his entire operation to help it run more effectively; he is hiring managers for each of his company’s divisions – sales, web and technical services
Eric has launched a “live support” desk where customers can call and talk to technicians about their computer needs; he also has a computer monitoring system that can alert him when a client’s network has failed
NEXT I.T. has 18 employees; Eric is optimistic he can reach his goal of a 40 percent sales increase in 2010
Eric is involved in numerous charitable and volunteer programs, including the Norton Shores Economic Development Committee; several committees of the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce; Bluebird Cancer Retreats; Every Woman’s Place and Blue Lake Public Radio.

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