Eviston was chosen by an independent panel of past winners, top CEOs and business leaders for his long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment and significant growth and impact.
Cincinnati, June 13, 2025 – Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced that Mitch Eviston, Meristem Crop Performance Founder and CEO, was named an “Entrepreneur Of The Year” 2025 East Central Award winner. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the preeminent competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. For 40 years, EY US has celebrated ambitious entrepreneurs who are transforming industries, impacting communities and creating long-term value.
Eviston was chosen by an independent panel of past winners, top CEOs and business leaders. Judges assessed candidates on long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment and significant growth and impact.
“This is a real honor that just shows the great people we have at Meristem working every day to help farmers produce more bushels for less,” Eviston said. “I am humbled to be included among the prestigious list of past winners.”
A native of Wabash, Ind., Eviston graduated from Southwood High School in 1987, where he developed an early passion for agriculture through FFA and soil judging contests under mentor Kurt Campbell. He went on to earn his degree from Purdue University in 1991.
After a successful corporate agriculture career, Eviston’s path took a dramatic turn when he battled liver cancer and received a life-saving transplant in 2017. During recovery, he identified inefficiencies in the agricultural supply chain and envisioned a better way to serve farmers. In 2018, he launched Meristem Crop Performance, aiming to provide high-quality crop inputs at significantly lower costs by streamlining distribution. His mission: help farmers increase yields while cutting input costs.
Meristem quickly took off under Eviston’s leadership, resonating with farmers seeking more efficient, affordable solutions. His vision, persistence, and deep agricultural expertise have made Meristem a game-changer in crop input innovation. The company’s rapid success reflects
Eviston’s ability to anticipate farmer needs and disrupt the traditional ag supply chain. Today, Meristem is helping to lead the charge in biological and next-generation farming solutions. Eviston’s journey—from overcoming personal adversity to building a transformative business— embodies the true spirit of entrepreneurship.
As East Central award winner, Eviston is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 National Awards. The National Award winners, including the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2026.
Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes many different types of 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.
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