Ernst & Young LLP recently announced that Linzie and Jesse Venegas of Ideal Group were named Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2025 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award winners. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. For 40 years, EY US has celebrated ambitious entrepreneurs who are transforming industries, impacting communities and creating long-term value.
Linzie and Jesse were chosen by an independent panel of past winners, top CEOs and business leaders. Judges assessed candidates on long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment and significant growth and impact.
“We are incredibly honored to be named as one of the recipients of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Michigan and Northwest Ohio,” said Linzie Venegas, President of Ideal Group.
This recognition is a proud milestone for Jesse and me, but it’s truly a reflection of our entire team at The Ideal Group, Inc., Ideal Contracting, Ideal Shield and Ideal Setech Companies. Success is never a solo journey. It’s about the people, the culture, and the shared values that carry us forward each day. A heartfelt thank you to Ideal’s founder and our dad, Frank Venegas, who built a legacy of integrity and purpose that continues to shape who we are. We’re deeply grateful to Cresa Detroit for the nomination and to EY for highlighting the impact entrepreneurs are making around the world through this phenomenal program. And to all the finalists and winners, your stories and work is inspiring.”
As a Michigan and Northwest Ohio award winner, both Linzie and Jesse are now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 National Awards. The National Award winners, including the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. 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 2026.
Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future.
The Ideal Group is a diverse organization comprising seven businesses that operate across three distinct areas: facility guarding and protection, construction services, and manufacturing supply chain services. Established in 1979, Ideal Steel specializes in fabricating structural and miscellaneous steel for buildings from its expansive 40,000 square foot fabrication shop. In 1995, Ideal Shield emerged as the inventor of the Bollard Cover, along with a range of other facility protection products widely utilized in banks, big-box retailers, and gas stations across the nation. Ideal Contracting, founded in 1997, has grown to become one of the largest general contractors in Michigan, expanding its steel construction operations throughout the United States. In 2003, Ideal Setech Share-The-Spare was created to assist a major manufacturer in addressing supply chain challenges related to spare parts for processing machinery. Subsequently, Ideal Setech, established in 2007, and Ideal Setech Canada, launched in 2019, focus on managing the physical machinery repair components for large manufacturing clients. Lastly, Ideal Surplus was founded in 2010 during the global recession to support companies in effectively decommissioning their unused machinery spares.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 60 countries globally.
The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the US at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA and SAP. In Michigan and Northwest Ohio, sponsors also include regional Gold sponsor, Full View Productions, and regional Silver sponsors, KLA Laboratories Inc., P.I.E. Management, L.L.C. and Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications.
About Ernst and Young
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Linzie y Jesse Venegas de Ideal Group, reconocidos como Emprendedores del Año 2025
Ernst & Young LLP anunció recientemente que Linzie y Jesse Venegas, de Ideal Group, fueron nombrados ganadores del premio a los emprendedores del Año 2025 de Michigan y el Noroeste de Ohio.
Entrepreneur Of The Year (EY) es el programa de premios competitivo más prestigioso para emprendedores y líderes de empresas de alto crecimiento. Durante 40 años, EY US ha reconocido a emprendedores ambiciosos que transforman industrias, impactan comunidades y generan valor a largo plazo.
Linzie y Jesse fueron elegidos por un panel independiente, compuesto por antiguos ganadores, destacados directores ejecutivos y líderes empresariales.
Los jueces evaluaron a los candidatos en función de su creación de valor a largo plazo, espíritu emprendedor, compromiso con un propósito definido y un crecimiento e impacto significativos.
“Nos sentimos sumamente honrados de haber sido nombrados entre los ganadores del Premio EY Entrepreneur Of The Year para Michigan y el Noroeste de Ohio”, declaró Linzie Venegas, presidenta de Ideal Group.
“Este reconocimiento es un gran orgullo para Jesse y para mí, pero es un verdadero reflejo de todo nuestro equipo en The Ideal Group, Inc., Ideal Contracting, Ideal Shield e Ideal Setech Companies.
El éxito nunca es un camino en solitario. Se trata de las personas, la cultura y los valores compartidos que nos impulsan cada día. Un sincero agradecimiento al fundador de Ideal y a nuestro padre, Frank Venegas, quien construyó un legado de integridad y propósito que continúa moldeando nuestra identidad. Estamos profundamente agradecidos a Cresa Detroit por la nominación y a EY por destacar el impacto que los emprendedores están generando en todo el mundo a través de este programa fenomenal. Y a todos los finalistas y ganadores, sus historias y su trabajo son inspiradores.”
Como ganadores de los premios de Michigan y el noroeste de Ohio, tanto Linzie como Jesse ahora son elegibles para los Premios Nacionales al Emprendedor del Año 2025. Los ganadores de los Premios Nacionales, incluido el ganador del Premio Nacional al Emprendedor del Año, se anunciarán en noviembre en el Strategic Growth Forum®, una de las reuniones más prestigiosas del país para empresas líderes en el mercado y de alto crecimiento.
El ganador del Premio Nacional al Emprendedor del Año pasará a competir por el Premio EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ en junio de 2026.
El programa Emprendedor del Año reconoce a diferentes tipos de líderes empresariales por su ingenio, coraje y espíritu emprendedor. El programa reconoce a los fundadores originales que impulsaron su negocio desde sus inicios o que recaudaron capital externo para expandirlo; a los CEO transformacionales que infundieron innovación en una organización existente para catapultar su trayectoria; y a los líderes multigeneracionales de empresas familiares que reinventaron un modelo de negocio heredado para fortalecerlo para el futuro.
Ideal Group es una organización diversa que comprende siete empresas que operan en tres áreas distintas: protección y vigilancia de instalaciones, servicios de construcción y servicios para la cadena de suministro de fabricación.
Fundada en 1979, Ideal Steel se especializa en la fabricación de acero estructural y de otros materiales para edificios desde su amplio taller de fabricación de 3700 metros cuadrados. En 1995, Ideal Shield se convirtió en el inventor de la cubierta de bolardo, junto con una gama de otros productos de protección de instalaciones ampliamente utilizados en bancos, grandes superficies minoristas y gasolineras de todo el país. Ideal Contracting, fundada en 1997, se ha convertido en uno de los contratistas generales más grandes de Michigan, expandiendo sus operaciones de construcción de acero por todo Estados Unidos. En 2003, se creó Ideal Setech Share-The-Spare para ayudar a un importante fabricante a abordar los desafíos de la cadena de suministro relacionados con las piezas de repuesto para maquinaria de procesamiento. Posteriormente, Ideal Setech, fundada en 2007, e Ideal Setech Canada, lanzada en 2019, se centran en la gestión de Componentes físicos para la reparación de maquinaria para grandes clientes del sector manufacturero. Por último, Ideal Surplus se fundó en 2010 durante la recesión mundial para ayudar a las empresas a desmantelar eficazmente sus repuestos de maquinaria en desuso.
Acerca del premio al Emprendedor del Año
Entrepreneur Of The Year fue fundado en 1986 y ha reconocido a más de 11,000 visionarios ambiciosos que lideran negocios exitosos y dinámicos en EE. UU., y desde entonces se ha expandido a casi 60 países a nivel mundial.
El programa estadounidense consta de 17 programas regionales cuyos paneles de jueces independientes seleccionan a los ganadores regionales cada junio. Estos ganadores compiten por el reconocimiento nacional en el Strategic Growth Forum® en noviembre, donde se anuncian los finalistas nacionales y los ganadores de los premios. El ganador nacional representa a EE. UU. en el concurso EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™. Visite ey.com/us/eoy.
Traducción Carmen Elena Luna
