The Castellini Foundation Master Entrepreneur Award to honor Daniel L. Baker Nov. 5

News from NKU...

Tuesday - November 3, 2009
For immediate release...


HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The entrepreneurship students at Northern Kentucky University announced today that the 2009 Castellini Foundation Master Entrepreneur Award recipient is Daniel L. Baker, president and CEO of Baker Concrete Construction, Inc. Baker will be honored at the 4th annual Master Entrepreneur Awards Celebration at the NKU METS Center for Corporate Learning this Thursday, November 5, at 6 p.m.

A master entrepreneur is an individual who has achieved success in his or her chosen industry by utilizing innovation, dedication and forward thinking to succeed in business. Master Entrepreneurs persevere in an ever-changing business environment and show great resilience in the face of adversity. These individuals are not only assets to the companies they build, but to the communities they impact.

"The event will be extremely rewarding for the students, as well as the regional business community, to gain insight from such a successful entrepreneur," said Bill Cunningham, transitional director of the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute at NKU. "Mr. Baker exemplifies the traits of the master entrepreneur; not only does his work improve his industry and the world, but he also focuses on making this region a better community for everyone."

While a student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Baker learned and mastered the cement finisher’s trade through his grandfather, Elmer Baker. From that small office, Baker has built Baker Concrete Construction into a nationally recognized company of more than 4,300 employees. The organization has been touted as having a homegrown atmosphere while building a culture of fast growth. Baker, a top 20 leader of the Cincinnati Enquirer's "Greater Cincinnati 100," has led Baker Concrete Construction to become a non-hierarchical or "gray collar" organization that does not recognize a gap between white and blue collar employees. In addition, Baker Concrete Construction, known for its hard work, customer satisfaction, quality and the ability to meet schedules, has been ranked among Engineering New Record's top three specialty concrete contractors for the past 20 years.

For the past four years, a committee of students, through the leadership of the NKU Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute, has bestowed this award on an entrepreneur who has demonstrated mastery in entrepreneurship. This event is a student-managed, student-driven and student-led celebration of the spirit of entrepreneurship in this region.

Sponsorships and tables at the event are purchased by regional businesses that are interested in, and supportive of, entrepreneurship and the growth of entrepreneurial enterprises in our region. Sponsorships provide the opportunity for NKU students to attend this prestigious event.

### NKU ###

Follow NKU news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NKU_News.