DALLAS, TX -- Jacques R. Sardas, Dal-Tile International’s chairman and CEO, has been selected as a winner in Ernst & Young’s 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year® Awards. Sardas was named "Turn-Around Enterprise Winner" for the southwest area , and will be inducted into the Entrepreneur of the Year Institute at the annual international conference awards gala to be held in Palm Springs, CA, from November 15 to 18. Regional winners go on to compete in one of several national Entrepreneur of the Year categories, and a national winner will be selected, which will be announced at the fall conference.

Since Sardas came to the helm of Dal-Tile in 1997, sales have increased from $676 million to $952 million, and under his leadership, the company has aggressively launched new stone and tile products. Sardas became known as a "turnaround" specialist after joining Goodyear Brazil as a management trainee. Upon assuming responsibility within an unprofitable department there, it soon became one of the company’s most profitable divisions in the country. He has done the same with Dal-Tile.

Ernst & Young, L.L.P. founded the Entrepreneur of the Year awards program. Now in its 15th year, the program is hosted in 44 regions in the U.S. and 21 countries internationally.