Celebrating entrepreneurs: 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year[TM] awards.

• Author: Moon, Jacob
• Position: 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award

"THE ENTREPRENEUR IS A CURIOUS BREED," admits Greg Wilson of Mity Enterprises, Inc., one of 32 finalists for the 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. According to Brent Brown, another finalist: "entrepreneurs are the only people in the world who can hock their houses and take on loads of debt and still be smiling about it." Only a curious breed could conquer the types of obstacles these outstanding men and women have, and still make it to the top of their industries. * Kirk Ririe started the business that became Idaho Technology in the corner of a potato shed. He has since created the official biothreat detection system for the U.S. Department of Defense to be used in all branches of the military. John Palica took-up fly-fishing to feed his family during the first years of his business, Traco Manufacturing. Now he is finishing out his 19th year as a leader in the shrink-wrap industry. Mike Chapman has battled dyslexia all of his life, but it hasn't stopped him from leading Chapman Racing Heads in creating cylinder heads that surpass the big dogs of the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and NASCAR. * From breaking world record for speed and saving lives, to making the smoothest of smoothies, here is a sampling of the dedication and vision these entrepreneurs have shown that counts them as champions of the breed.

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BILL BEESLEY, TOM DANIELS, BRAD BEESLEY

Back to Basics

A distinct family atmosphere unites the employees of Back to Basics. Bill and Brad Beesley joined Tom Daniels in 1986 in what has become a successful housewares company focused on food, family and fun. A commonality is found in both the company's culture and its market strategy. The offices in the company's new headquarters were designed with low walls for open communication among the partners and other associates. In the same way, Back to Basics markets by surrounding a core product like a smoothie maker with other similar products and accessories. * "Everyone at Back to Basics comments on what a nice family feel there is around here," says Daniels. "As the company grew and added new associates, we wanted to make sure that we never lost that family feel and culture we have enjoyed for so many years."

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JOHN BECHARD

Sash Management LLC, Gift Card Solutions

Having recently partnered with the largest gift card vendor in the United States, John Bechard, owner of Gift Card Solutions, a provider of paper- and electronic-based gift products and services, says his sales experience and small business culture have given him an upper hand in the technologically-advancing gift card industry. "My experience was not in accounting, operations, or IT," he says. "I did eventually have to find those people, and I was lucky enough to get great people in the right positions" * Bechard has focused his company on providing as much technology and service to the small- and mid-size companies as his competitors offer the larger companies. By having high-quality employees, especially in the IT division, he has been able to keep his overhead low while providing great customer service.

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JOHN BRESEE (LEFT), JIM HOLLAND (RIGHT)

Backcountry.com

Call him a ski bum or even a computer geek. Whatever his title, John Bresee has combined his two greatest passions into a successful e-business. When Bresee and co-founder Jim Holland started, they never imagined they would be shipping outdoor gear from a 47,000-square-foot warehouse. "We were thinking it would be nice to be able to pay the rent and have a cool business," Bresee says. "[Now it's] to be the best outdoor retail site on the Web." * As individuals, Holland and Bresee have decidedly different approaches to business, but fanatical analysis of every detail is one thing they agree always brings the best results. Whether it's analyzing the popularity of fabric swatches or the effectiveness of a particular e-mail advertisement, or crunching numbers, all these help them predict which path will be most profitable.

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BRENT WILLIAMS

Dental Select

Fun is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about dental insurance plans. But Brent Williams of Dental Select knows how to make good use of a good time. Williams flies out-of-state employees to Utah for summer and Christmas parties, and the Utah office enjoys a family atmosphere, including a wellness program, a large on-site kitchen and satellite TV. These amenities, Williams says, help people feel more comfortable so they can provide better service to their customers. "People are important to me," he says. "They are what it's all about." * But don't let the frivolity fool you. Dental Select boasts an extremely low turnover rate, an exceptional management team and insurance coverage for one in every 10 Utahns. "One of the most exciting and fulfilling things for me [has been] to watch it grow from virtually one employee to this large organization," Says Williams.

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DAVID LUDLOW

Bullfrog International

You'd think owning a spa manufacturing...