Ernst & Young announces SMS Assist CEO Mike Rothman named EY Entrepreneur of the Year® 2016 Technology Award winner in the Midwest

CHICAGO, June 16, 2016 – Ernst & Young today announced that Mike Rothman, chairman and CEO of SMS Assist, an innovative mobile and cloud-based multisite property management company, received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year® 2016 Technology Award in the Midwest. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award program. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.Rothman was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a black-tie gala at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom on June 15.SMS Assist manages a network of more than 20,000 subcontracted affiliates and an estimated 500,000 technicians to provide the highest quality maintenance services to more than 120,000 client locations. The company’s cutting-edge platform technology eliminates unnecessary steps in the maintenance workflow by integrating customer, subcontractor and SMS operations, allowing clients to reduce maintenance costs and improve service, quality and the overall customer experience.Based in Chicago, SMS Assist is revolutionizing property management with its proprietary, cloud-based platform and fully-managed business solution for a growing list of national and Fortune 500 companies, including Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO), JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: JLL), O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) and Colony Starwood Homes (NYSE: SFR).“It’s an incredible honor to be included in this group of visionary, talented winners and nominees,” said Rothman. “Our revolutionary technology is central to our explosive growth. This award from Ernst & Young is a powerful validation of our innovation and there’s much more to come.”Since 1986, EY has honored entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation and discipline have propelled their companies’ success, invigorated their industries, and benefited their communities. Now in its 30th year, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Robert Unanue of Goya Foods and Mindy Grossman of HSN. Recent US national winners include Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn; Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani; and 2015 winners Andreas Bechtolsheim and Jayshree Ullal of Arista Networks.As a Midwest award winner, Rothman is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur of the Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur of the Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 19, 2016. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth ForumTM, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. The US Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Award winner then moves on to compete for the World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Monaco, June 2017.SponsorsFounded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are sponsored nationally by SAP America, Merrill Corporation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Midwest regional sponsors include LaSalle Network, Plexus Groupe, PNC Bank, Becker Professional Education, Cresa Chicago, Chatham Financial, DLA Piper and 1871.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.About EY’s Strategic Growth Markets practiceEY’s Strategic Growth Markets (SGM) practice guides leading high-growth companies. Our multidisciplinary teams of elite professionals provide perspective and advice to help our clients accelerate market leadership. SGM delivers assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to thousands of companies spanning all industries. EY is the undisputed leader in taking companies public, advising key government agencies on the issues impacting high-growth companies and convening the experts who shape the business climate. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/us/strategicgrowthmarkets, or follow news on Twitter @EY_Growth.About EYEY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.About SMS AssistSMS Assist is a Chicago-based technology company providing multisite property management to a roster of Fortune 500 clients with a team of more than 800 dedicated employees and more than 186,000 service locations. Using its proprietary software platform to manage its network of more than 20,000 affiliate subcontractors, SMS Assist offers a suite of property management benefits including leveraged pricing of products and services, a $50 million insurance policy, real-time services validation, instant invoicing, automatic service audits, and data analysis to ensure quality and cost efficiency. SMS Assist is revolutionizing multisite property management services for clients including JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) and Invitation Homes Inc. (NYSE: INVH). To learn more, visit smsassist.com.Contact:Elisabeth Klisser312-265-2047eklisser@smsassist.com