A glittering gala was held to announce the winner of Austria's second annual “Entrepreneur Of The Year Award®”. Some 330 guests from business, politics and culture were on hand to honor nine leading entrepreneurs selected in three separate categories by an independent jury of top experts, as well as to congratulate the finalist chosen as “Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2007”. The list of finalists included high-profile members of the business community who have distinguished themselves with their unique entrepreneurial spirit and vision, as well as their ability to turn that vision into reality.

The Finalists and Winners:
Category Services & Commerce
· Winner: KR Ing. Richard Trenkwalder, Trenkwalder Personaldienste AG
· Dkfm. Georg Folian, Dr. Franz Jurkowitsch, Warimpex Finanz- und Beteiligungs AG
· Manfred Kainz, TCM International Tool Consulting & Management GmbH

Category Industry & High-Tech
· Winner: Ing. Friedrich Huemer, POLYTEC HOLDING AG
· Mag. Rainer Burian, Mag. Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Mladek, PAA Laboratories GmbH
· Mag. Erwin Kotányi, Kotányi GmbH

Category Start-Up
· Winner: Dipl.-Ing. Franz Padinger, Klaus Schröter, NANOIDENT Technologies AG
· Thomas Bruckner, Robert Doppler, Ing. Manfred Peter, Etrix Elektrotechnik - Fiber Optics GmbH
· Mag. pharm. Alexander Ehrmann, Mag. Martin Rohla, St. Charles Apotheke, Mag. pharm. Ehrmann & Mag. Rohla OHG

Dipl.-Ing. Franz Padinger and Klaus Schröter from NANOIDENT Technologies AG will be representing Austria at the international “Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award®” at the end of May 2008 in Monte Carlo.

Mag. Helmut Maukner, Country Managing Partner for Ernst & Young Austria: “Personal and social commitment, the willingness to take risks and the strength to innovate, business acumen, a orientation toward the future and primarily both vision and the ability to make this vision reality are all the qualities of an excellent entrepreneur. Ernst & Young is always on the lookout for entrepreneurs in over 125 cities and 50 countries who possess these attribute in just the right balance. Dipl.-Ing Franz Padinger and Klaus Schröter from NANOIDENT Technologies both match exactly this kind of entrepreneur profile, and on behalf of Ernst & Young I would like to congratulate them on being selected to represent Austria in the ‘World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award® 2007’.”

For more information: www.eoy.at