Ernst & Young selected five Chester County business leaders as finalists for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards for 2014 in the greater Philadelphia area.

The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The finalists, selected from 49 nominations, are:

Frank Hermanace of Ametek, Inc. of Berwyn. Ametek is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electro-mechanical devices with annual sales of $3.6 billion. The company says it is aiming for double-digit percentage growth in earnings per share over the next business cycle. Ametek acquired two additional firms during the first quarter this year.

Ryan Caplan of Wayne-based ColdLight Solutions, LLC. Inc. Magazine recently named ColdLight one of the fastest growing firms in America. The firm is the inventor of Neuron, which it calls the world’s first conversational, Prescriptive Intelligence service designed for the business user.

Andrew Daga of Momentum Dynamics Corp. of Malvern. Momentum Dynamics develops high-power inductive charging technologies for the automotive and transportation industries. Its technology allows any type of vehicle or appliance to be connected to the electrical power grid without the use of wires or cables.

Alix James of Boothwyn-based Nielsen-Kellerman. The firm designs, manufactures and distributes rugged, waterproof environmental and sports performance instruments. Philly.com named the firm one of the top workplaces in Philadelphia for the past three years.

Gerri Henwood, Recro Pharma, Inc. The company is a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical firm developing non-opioid therapeutics for treatment of pain, initially in the post-operative setting. Its lead product is Dexmedetomidine, which has completed a placebo controlled trial demonstrating effective reduction of pain.

Ernst and Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services and has been giving this prestigious award for 28 years. Award winners will be announced at a gala event on June 12 at the Terrace Ballroom in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year national program.

Local sponsors include Ballard Spahr LLP, Merrill Corporation, MFP Strategies, Morgan Lewis and Bockius LLP, Murry, Devine & Company, Inc., NSM Insurance Group, ParenteBeard, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia Business Journal, PNC Bank, SolomonEdwardsGroup LLC and the Simkiss Companies.