MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. – November 22, 2005 – Last weekend marked the 19th Annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Award celebration in Palm Springs, California. Attended by the nation’s top entrepreneurs, the event culminated in Saturday’s ceremony emceed by Jay Leno where the finalists and winners were announced.
Out of the 400-plus national nominees invited to Palm Springs, 35 were named as finalists in one of the 11 national categories, including: Financial Services; Services; Supporter of Entrepreneurship; International Lifetime Achievement Award for Activism, Entrepreneurship and Leadership; Media/Entertainment/Communications; Health Sciences; Technology; Realizing Business Potential; Distribution/Manufacturing/Security; Real Estate/Hospitality/Construction.
Layne Sapp, founder and CEO of MILA, based in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, was the only Pacific Northwest entrepreneur from the region that includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska to be named as a finalist. In fact, he is the first regional entrepreneur to make the nationals in five years. Sapp shares the Financial Services winners circle with fellow finalist, Robert L. Riter, chairman of American Chartered Bank, a Chicago-area full-service commercial and retail bank. James E. Stowers, Jr., founder of American Century Investments, was named the category winner.
“It is a thrill to be named with such powerhouses of the industry,” Layne explained. “I know everyone says ‘it’s an honor just to be nominated’ but to carry that nomination to the national stage and then share the spotlight with the likes of Robert Riter and James Stowers truly is an honor. I share the spotlight gladly with every MILA associate who has helped realize our vision over our 21-year history.”
Sapp attributes the Ernst & Young honor to MILA’s cutting edge proprietary loan management system, AccessPoint, which has spearheaded the company’s 803 percent growth since its introduction in 2002. The only online loan management tool to provide instant loan commitments, the technology is putting MILA in a category by itself within the wholesale lending industry. With Sapp at the helm, the company aims to solve the business problems of brokers across the country by providing them a uniquely robust online loan management tool that allows them to be both broker and banker right from their desktop.
With plans to expand to 22 new states by the close of 2006, MILA and its founder are poised to make industry history in the coming years having been recognized by other leading business watchdogs such as Inc 500, Mortgage Technology News, Deloitte & Touche, Puget Sound Business Journal and the Better Business Bureau.
About MILA, Inc.
MILA, Inc. is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce mortgage solution providers in the nation currently serving the wholesale residential market in 26 states with a broad range of alternative mortgage lending products. Financial strength, management stability, and proprietary, cutting-edge technology give MILA the ability to meet the challenges of the ever-changing mortgage lending market and to anticipate market trends. For more information visit www.mila.com.
About The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Program
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 100 cities and 35 countries.
About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, is committed to restoring the public’s trust in professional services firms and in the quality of financial reporting. Its 106,000 people in 140 countries pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism in providing a range of sophisticated services centered on our core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions. Further information about Ernst & Young and its approach to a variety of business issues can be found at www.ey.com/us/perspectives. Ernst & Young refers to all the members of the global Ernst & Young organization. |
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