|
 |
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
December 2004 Volume 1, Issue 14 This issue home | Action home | Chamber home Jim Von Ehr Receives Ernest Randall Award
The award was presented by Bob Kaiser, chairman of the board for the Richardson Chamber and vice president of sales for WageWorks, at its 22nd Annual Business & Industry Appreciation Luncheon, attended by 250 business executives, civic officials and community leader, at the Radisson Richardson Hotel. Von Ehr is the founder, CEO and chairman of the board of Zyvex Corporation. The award was created by the Chamber in 2001 to honor a company or individual for contributions to the city's economic vitality as measured, in part, by job creation and commercial tax base additions. Other criteria for the award include the number, magnitude, and length of time over which contributions were made; the business and personal risks taken; loyalty to Richardson as evidenced by the nominee's choice of business location or personal residence; plus their volunteer and civic contributions that have benefited the community. Von Ehr was a former employee of Texas Instruments who founded a little Richardson company in 1984 to develop graphics applications for personal computers, said Kaiser. After growing the company, called Altsys, to more than $100 million in revenues, he sold it in 1995, achieving the kind of financial independence that most of us can only dream of. But unlike most of us, he re-invested much of his fortune in starting another company, Zyvex, built around the fledgling science of nanotechnology. And now, Zyvex is poised to become an even larger success story than Altsys, said Kaiser. In the process, he created hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, created a foundation for a new technology focus in the Telecom Corridor® area, helped bring Nobel laureates to UT-Dallas, and represented the best of Richardson's technology know-how at state and federal levels. All the while, he and his family have maintained their Richardson roots and residence while also supporting the Richardson arts and community in so many ways. We thank Jim Von Ehr for all he has done for Richardson, concluded Kaiser. The Ernest J. Randall, Jr. Economic Development Leadership Award is named after the 1977 chairman of the Chamber, who has been a long-time dedicated community leader and volunteer. Randall convinced the development company he worked for, The Vantage Companies, to build some of the first speculative office-tech facilities in Richardson during the 1970's and has been active in the commercial real estate industry ever since. Randall was the first recipient of the award in 2001. The award-winner in 2002 was longtime Richardson Mayor Ray Noah, who provided the leadership and vision that positioned Richardson to capitalize on the unprecedented business expansions of the 1990s. |
|
Top Stories
More Top Stories
In Every Issue
|
Action News is a monthly publication of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce Communications Department. Contact the editor. To unsubscribe, e-mail administrator@telecomcorridor.com. Please provide your name, company, phone number and e-mail address. |
The Richardson Chamber of Commerce has awarded its Ernest J. Randall, Jr. Economic Development Leadership Award for 2004 to James Von Ehr, II, a Richardson resident and entrepreneur.