Saturday, September 11, 2004

St. Louis EO Chapter Honors Tom Budinick as 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year

St. Louis EO Chapter Honors Tom Budinick as 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year

Tom Budinick has been named the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year by the St. Louis Chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). The award recognizes Mr. Budinick for his leadership and entrepreneurial efforts in the St. Louis community.

St. Louis (PRWEB) July 28, 2008

Tom Budinick, of Cummins Budinick and Associates, has been named the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year by the St. Louis Chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). The award recognizes Mr. Budinick for his leadership and entrepreneurial efforts in the St. Louis community.

Mr. Budinick, a serial entrepreneur, has successfully started six different companies in varying industries. Currently a managing partner at Cummins Budinick and Associates, Mr. Budinick provides senior level retained executive search services to Fortune 500 companies. He also co-founded Midwest Pretzel Inc., which owned and operated the highly successful chain of Auntie Anne's Pretzel franchises in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky until it sold in 2005. In addition, Mr. Budinick is the co-owner of the popular Atomic Cowboy bar and nightclub located in the Grove neighborhood of St. Louis.

Mr. Budinick's latest venture is Informed Workplace, described as a virtual mentor, convenient knowledge base, and a powerful learning tool for the workplace. Informed Workplace streams short videos directly to companies' Intranet sites, with topics focused on real issues that people face in the workplace. Such topics include performance and leadership, workplace law and health and wellness. The Informed Workplace website, www. InformedWorkplace. com, recently received the prestigious Summit International Awards Innovator Award for best website in the business-to-business category.

"As the founder and owner of many successful businesses in several different industries, Tom demonstrates the true essence of an entrepreneur," said Brad Pittenger, EO St. Louis chapter president. "Tom has been a valuable member of EO, and he serves as an inspiration to us all."

Mr. Budinick has mentored students at Washington University's Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and has been named among the "Smartest Franchisees in America" by Inc Magazine. He studied finance at Shoreline College in Seattle. Mr. Budinick is a member of the Knights of Columbus and coaches his five year-old son's soccer team at Ascension Catholic grade school.

About Entrepreneurs' Organization
The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) - for entrepreneurs only - is a global community that enriches members' lives through direct peer-to-peer learning, connections to experts and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. EO is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. EO is comprised of more than 7,000 members in 38 countries, with an average member age of 39 and average annual revenue of US$15.5 million. The organization is committed to building the world's most influential community of entrepreneurs. For more information on the Entrepreneurs' Organization, visit www. eonetwork. org.

About Cummins Budinick and Associates (CB&A)
CB&A is a retained executive search firm specializing in the identification, evaluation and placement of middle and senior level executives primarily for Fortune 500 clients.

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