EY today announced that Chief Executive Officer Dean Atchison of Spectrum Aeromed is a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2015 Award in the Upper Midwest.  The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.  Atchison was selected as a finalist by a panel of independent judges.  Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 10th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis.

Atchison purchased Spectrum Aeromed in 2007 when the company had 16 employees and essentially no revenue stream.  He launched a plan to overhaul the operating model of Spectrum Aeromed based on management through a leadership team, lean enterprise practices and a world-class quality management system.  In 2008 he relocated the operation from Wheaton, MN to a location at Hector International Airport in Fargo, ND and, through the Spectrum Aeromed leadership team, initiated a new strategic road map. Since Atchison acquired Spectrum Aeromed, revenues have grown by a factor of 7x and as a result the company has been recognized on the Inc. 500/5000 list of America’s fasted growing private companies three times in the past four years.

“I am grateful to be recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. The success I have enjoyed at Spectrum Aeromed is purely the result of working with and for an extraordinary team of aerospace professionals”, Atchison said. “In 2007 the team joined me in one of the most challenging things to do in business – turning around a deeply troubled company. Through a prolonged period of global economic weakness Spectrum Aeromed has executed its strategy and focused on creating a strong culture of problem-solving, fast-learning and adaptability.  The commitment, effort and persistence that the team has put into transforming the company is what motivates me. I have to improve every day in order to keep up with my team and I appreciate the opportunity that I have to work with and for such an incredible group every day. Being recognized by EY for this great honor confirms that Spectrum Aeromed is a leading player in the worldwide air medical equipment marketplace. The growth of the company has been outstanding and is a result of significantly improved processes and customer satisfaction scores but I’m equally proud of the employee satisfaction results that we have realized through our unique operating style.”

“We are honored to have our CEO nominated for such a prestigious award,” said Chief Operating Officer of Spectrum Aeromed Chad Kost. “I worked with Atchison in the banking industry for years before joining his team at Spectrum Aeromed. Atchison is very innovative in his approach to running the business and keeping employees engaged.”
Now in its 29th year, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries throughout the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National program.  Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 14, 2015. The awards are the culminating event of the EY Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

ABOUT SPECTRUM AEROMED:

Spectrum Aeromed is a leading global designer and manufacturer of custom air medical and air ambulance equipment for fixed and rotor wing aircraft. The company is qualified to produce specialized life support solutions for air, ground and marine support applications. Spectrum Aeromed holds more than 60 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) covering more than 400 models of aircraft. Spectrum Aeromed is headquartered in Fargo, ND with a 17,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. For more information, visit www.spectrum-aeromed.com.

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®:

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.