Aaron Thomas of Metcon, Inc. named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Southeast finalist by EY US
EY US celebrates ambitious entrepreneurs shaping the future of business
Pembroke, NC, April 21, 2026 – Aaron Thomas, CEO of Metcon, Inc., has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Southeast Award by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). Now in its 41st year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program celebrates the bold leaders who disrupt markets through the world’s most ground-breaking companies, revolutionizing industries and uplifting communities. The program honors entrepreneurs whose innovations drive economic growth and help shape the future of business.
An independent panel of judges selected Aaron Thomas among 35 finalists based on their entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth and lasting impact in building long-term value.
Thomas states “Being named a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year is an honor and is a tremendous reflection of the dedication and commitment shown by every member of the Metcon team. Surpassing our Vision 2025 Goal with over $500 million in revenue—$300 million more than our original target—is an incredible achievement and stands as a testament to their collective hard work and strategic vision.”
“The core values that guide Metcon—Excellence Delivered, People First, Integrity Without Compromise, Client Success is Our Success, and Communities Strengthened— EPIC2 : has been pivotal in this success. These core values shape the internal culture of our organization but also foster meaningful relationships with clients and positively impact the communities we serve.”
“Together we are building an EPIC2 Future demonstrating a forward-thinking mindset that positions Metcon for continued success. At the heart of this journey is people: our dedicated team, valued clients, and the communities we uplift.”
Founded in 2000, Metcon, Inc., a Native American owned [Lumbee] construction firm provides preconstruction, VDC, infrastructure, construction manager at risk, and design-build services. The company serves a variety of public and private clients in Education, Infrastructure, Sports and Entertainment, Housing, Healthcare, Aviation, Industrial/Manufacturing, Operations Centers, Tribal and Gaming Sectors. Today Metcon has 3 building divisions: Pembroke, Charlotte, Raleigh, NC and an Infrastructure Division; 4 regional offices: Greensboro, Kings Mountain, Fayetteville, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC with 195 employees company wide. Under Aaron Thomas’s leadership the company has achieved significant growth over the past 8 years completing 2025 with a record breaking $501M revenue, surpassing their Vision 2025 goal of $200M.
Entrepreneur Of The Year honors business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company, transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory, and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future.
This year’s Southeast finalists represent Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee across all industries, including technology, consumer products, manufacturing, finance and more.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 18 during a special celebration in Charlotte, NC and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the national judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, where high-growth CEOs, Fortune 1000 executives and investors converge to shape the future of business.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, SAP, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In the Southeast, sponsors also include VACO, LLC as the regional Platinum sponsor; ADP and King & Spalding as the regional Gold sponsors; and Babbit Bodner as the regional Silver sponsor.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year® has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 80 countries and territories globally.
The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November where national finalists and award winners are announced. The national overall winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.
About EY
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