DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics has named New Hampshire entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul Holloway the 2013 Paul College Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Paul College Entrepreneur of the Year award is given to a business leader with a demonstrated commitment to the state's business community, an appreciation for UNH and its resources, and a track record of creating entrepreneurial value by starting companies, supporting and promoting new ventures and mentoring individuals engaged in business start-ups.

"Paul Holloway's philanthropy to UNH has allowed us to hold Holloway Prize annually for 25 years and help UNH students share their dreams, visions and business proposals with judges and others from the academic and business communities. We are proud to recognize Paul Holloway for his support for the university and his significant entrepreneurial contributions to the state of New Hampshire," said Michael Merenda, Holloway Prize Competition director and professor of strategic management and entrepreneurship.

Holloway will be presented the award at the Paul J. Holloway Prize Innovation-to-Market Competition Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at UNH. The UNH Paul College is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Holloway Prize Competition, which is the state's oldest business plan competition and honors Holloway.

Six teams will vie for more than $75,000 in prize money and awards in the final round of competition, including $25,000 for first place, to be held in the Squamscott Room of Holloway Commons in Durham.
Holloway is an accomplished and energetic business leader and a highly successful entrepreneur. A graduate of Temple University, he began his career in the automotive industry as a district manager of Buick Motor Division. In 1967, he invested all of his assets in a Buick-Pontiac dealership in Exeter that had sold only 90 new and used cars the previous year and renamed it Dreher-Holloway.

As he built the business into one of the largest dealerships in New Hampshire, Holloway always stressed customer service and client satisfaction. He has won numerous industry awards, including Time magazine's "Quality Dealer of the Year."

Holloway generously shares his knowledge and experience. As president of the National Automobile Dealers Association from 1998 to 1999, he worked to rebuild the trust between dealers and car manufacturers and took the lead on legislative matters for the organization, maintaining ties with key legislators in Washington.

In addition to his automotive enterprises, Holloway was a partner in Clipper Nursing and Retirement Homes until he sold the business in 1997 and is presently an owner of the Wentworth Marina in New Castle.

Holloway has a strong commitment to public service. He has served as chair of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) Board of Trustees and spearheaded fundraising programs at Temple University, Governor's Academy, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and has been recognized for his work on behalf of education in the state. He has received the Robert Frost Contemporary American Award, the UNH Alumni Association Profile Service Award, the USNH Chancellor's Award, and an honorary doctorate from UNH. The university also named the Holloway Commons dining hall after him in recognition of his significant contributions to the university's programs. He was also selected as one of New Hampshire's 10 most powerful people by Business N.H. Magazine and was awarded the David C. Knapp Award for Trusteeship by the New England Board of Higher Education.

Holloway chairs the New Hampshire Community College System of New Hampshire and has served as a New Hampshire lottery commissioner for nine years. He is a past member of the Whittemore School of Business and Economics Dean's Advisory Board.

The UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics offers a full complement of high-quality programs in business, economics, accounting, finance, information systems management, entrepreneurship, marketing, and hospitality management. Programs are offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive development levels. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business schools worldwide.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

PHOTO
The UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics has named entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul Holloway the 2013 Paul College Entrepreneur of the Year.
/unhtoday/sites/default/files/newsroom/img/paulholloway.jpg

-30-