EOY Sends Five On

GRAND RAPIDS — Five West Michigan firms were selected to represent West Michigan in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Lake Michigan Area award program in a ceremony this afternoon at GrandValleyStateUniversity's DeVosCenter

Selected among 11 companies and 14 entrepreneurs were:

• Jeff Lambert, president and managing partner of Lambert, Edwards & Associates Inc. in Grand Rapids

• Jeff Lobdell, president of Restaurant Partners Inc. in Grand Rapids

• Larry Andrus, CEO of Trivalent Group Inc. in Grandville.

• Evan Knoll, president of Torco Racing Fuels Inc. in Decatur

• J. Lawrence Taunt, chairman, John A. Kailunas II, president and COO, and Brian Yarch, vice president, of Regal Financial Group in Kentwood.

The West Michigan finalists will compete in a black-tie event at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom in Chicago on June 22 against regional finalists from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Also making the trip to Chicago is KenowaHillsHigh School senior Josh Westgate, winner of the Junior Achievement Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award.