OAK BROOK, Ill. — vAuto founder and chairman Dale Pollak is now a finalist for the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Midwest, vying with other nominees for the regional honor that will be given out next month.

Regional business, academic and community leaders chose the slate of finalists for the Midwest program, which includes companies in Illinois, Indiana and the western part of Michigan.

There will be a gala event on June 24 in Sheraton Hotel and Towers, where the winners will be unveiled.

"Dale is very deserving of this honor," stated Keith Jezek, vAuto's president and chief executive officer.

"He took an idea and a belief and transformed them into a highly successful, rapidly growing company for the automotive retail industry," he added. "We couldn't be more proud of Dale and his accomplishments."

Those who win regional awards can go on to compete in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 national program. 

An annual awards gala is slated for Palm Springs, Calif., to cap off the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum running Nov. 10-14. At the Palm Springs event the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner and national category award recipients will be announced.