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EY Announces Paul Ballard, Steven Ballard and Scott Ballard of Ballard Brands as Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2020 Gulf Coast Area Award Finalists

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Celebrating the unstoppable entrepreneurs whose ambitions transform our world

September 14, 2020 // Franchising.com // NEW ORLEANS - Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Co-Founders Paul Ballard, Steven Ballard, and Scott Ballard of Ballard Brands were named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2020 Gulf Coast Area Award finalists. Now in its 34th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors entrepreneurial business leaders whose ambitions deliver innovation, growth and prosperity as they build and sustain successful businesses that transform our world.

Award winners will be announced through a special virtual event on October 6, 2020 and will join a lifelong community of esteemed Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. This year, unstoppable entrepreneurs who have provided extraordinary support for their communities, employees and others during the COVID-19 crisis will also be recognized for their courage, resilience and ingenuity.

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

“We established Ballard Brands in 2001 and worked hard to build a company that makes us and our team proud,” says Paul Ballard. “It’s an honor to be named a finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year.”

“Entrepreneurs are at the heart of a multitude of industries in the U.S. and beyond. For more than 30 years, Entrepreneur Of The Year has recognized game-changing business leaders and we are pleased to be recognized as a finalist by a program with this legacy,” says Steven Ballard.

“Much like Entrepreneur Of The Year, we have taken our operations international,” says Scott Ballard. “After starting with one restaurant and two coffee house franchises, our company now features food and beverage concepts across the country as well as multiple locations in Vietnam and Kuwait. We are honored to be recognized among so many other notable business leaders in representing the entrepreneurial spirit of the Gulf Coast Area.”

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November during a virtual awards gala. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2021.

Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries - all supported by vast EY resources.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Kauffman Foundation.

In Gulf Coast Area, sponsors also include Colliers International, DLA Piper, ADP, LLC, SolomonEdwards, Pierpont Communications and Houston Business Journal.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®

Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy

About EY Private

As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/private

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

About Ballard Brands

Ballard Brands is a hospitality and food service business formed in December 2001 by brothers Paul, Steven, and Scott Ballard after success in operating retail beverage franchises (Smoothie King and PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans) in Louisiana and North Carolina. After starting the company with one restaurant and two coffee house franchises, the Ballard Brands now owns, operates and manages restaurants and food and beverage concepts in 30 states and three countries.

The company's restaurant portfolio includes retail brands WOW American Eats, PJ's Coffee of New Orleans, and Boardhouse Serious Sandwiches. These brands collectively total nearly 175 locations in both traditional and non-traditional models and continue to grow. Ballard Brands also operates wholesale brand New Orleans Roast coffee, which is sold in grocery stores and featured in an array of locations, including restaurants, hotels, airports and convenience stores.

About IdEATion Hospitality

Ideation Hospitality specializes in personal dining experiences rooted in the rich cultural traditions and culinary vision of renowned Latin-American chef Jose Garces. Taking a heartfelt and creative approach to time-honored recipes and dishes, IdEATion Hospitality, the partnership between New Orleans- based Ballard Brands and Garces Group, operates numerous restaurants including Amada, Distrito, Tinto, Village Whiskey, JG Domestic, Volvér, The Olde Bar, Buena Onda, Okatshe, Olon and Bar Olon at Tropicana Atlantic City and Amada and Distrito Cantina in the Ocean Resort Casino. The group also operates Garces Events, a full-service catering and event division.

SOURCE Ballard Brands

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