2003 Dynetech Distinguished Entrepreneur Award Presented to
Joel G. Lehman

The Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship awarded its 2003 Dynetech Distinguished Entrepreneur Award to Joel G. Lehman, President, Florida Extruders International, Inc. today at its day-long learning program, Advanced Entrepreneurship: Growing to Greatness. Two other entrepreneurs were recognized as finalists: John S. Majewski, G&T Conveyor Company, Inc. and Robert Allen, Integrity Arts and Technology, Inc.

The criteria for the 2003 Dynetech Distinguished Entrepreneur Award required that the submitting companies demonstrated an established a level of sustainable growth for three years, a solid vision to support anticipated growth and an ability to overcome growth challenges.

Florida Extruders International, Inc. is a locally-owned and grown business with over $67 million in revenues, 630 employees and growth history of 35 - 40 percent a year. In 1989 after a highly successful career with Penn Brass & Copper Company in Pennsylvania, Lehman purchased The Marmon Group, a Sanford-based manufacturer for metal structural framing for pool and screen enclosures. He renamed the company Florida Extruders and began to expanded its manufacturing to include the production of high quality aluminum doors, windows, storm protection products and handrails. To accommodate its growth and to meet future demand for its products, Lehman has plans for a new $15 million manufacturing and distribution facility on 35 acres in Sanford.

"Joel represents one of the most important assets we have in central Florida - the entrepreneurial business owner," said Dr. Craig M. McAllaster, Dean, Crummer Graduate School of Business. "Established entrepreneurial businesses employ hundreds of thousands in our community and offer tremendous growth potential in our economy. Through the Center for Entrepreneurship, Crummer intends to be stimulus to that segment of economic development."

The applications for the award were reviewed and the award chosen by a distinguished panel of Central Florida business owners and entrepreneurs:

· James Barnes, Jr., chairman and CEO of BankFirst;
· Donald Collins, chairman and CEO of Collins Industries
· Robert Finfrock, Jr., president of Finfrock Industries

Crummer Entrepreneurship Award & program - 2

· Manuel Garcia, III, chairman of Culinary Concepts, Inc.
· E.V. "Rick" Goings, chairman and CEO of Tupperware Corp.
· Raymond Gellein, Jr., chairman and CEO of Starwood Vacation Ownership
· David Hughes, chairman and CEO of Hughes Supply
· Charles Steinmetz, president of Middleton Pest Control
· "Butch" von Weller, president and CEO of Weller Pool Constructors
· Newton Kindlund
· John Ruggieri

Over 270 persons registered for the Crummer Advanced Entrepreneurship: Growing to Greatness program. The program was designed to give participants personal and experiential insight to transforming start-up ventures into growing, sustainable enterprises. Presentations were made by some of Central Florida's established entrepreneurs:

· Joe Lee, Darden Restaurants, Chairman/CEO, Keynote Speaker
· Michael Poole, PCE Investment Bankers, Principal, Financing the Growth of a Business
· James Seneff, CNL, Founder/Chairman, From Entrepreneur to CEO
· Laurence J. Pino, CEO, Dynetech, I Never Met a Problem Sales Couldn't Handle
· Paul Kuck, Regal Boats, CEO, Operational 'Oops' to Avoid

As part of its ongoing philanthropic commitment to Rollins College, locally-owned Dynetech Corporation underwrote the costs and contributed in-kind services to launch this annual Crummer symposium, thereby enabling all event tuition fees - over $12,000, to be used to fund a scholarship in the Center for Entrepreneurship. Since 2001, Dynetech has contributed more than $125,000 to the Crummer School.

About The Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship: The goal of the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship is to create a sustainable forum that provides intellectual and organizational skills to early and mid-stage companies with significant growth potential, and to bring together the diverse constituents who have a stake in this sector's success and the region's long-term economic growth.