Eric Fortenberry of JobTread named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Southwest finalist by EY US
Dallas, TX | May 2026
Eric Fortenberry, Founder and CEO of JobTread Software, has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Southwest 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 groundbreaking 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 Fortenberry among 44 finalists based on entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth, and lasting impact in building long-term value.
“Being named a finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year is an incredible honor, but it really reflects the hard work of the entire JobTread team and the contractors we are privileged to serve every day,” said Fortenberry. “JobTread was built to solve real problems I experienced firsthand while running a construction company. We believe that by equipping contractors with the right tools, education, and support, we are raising the standard for the entire construction industry. I’m grateful to our team, our customers, and our partners for believing in that mission and helping us build something that is making a meaningful impact.”
Founded in 2019, JobTread provides all-in-one construction estimating and project management software built to help contractors streamline their operations, improve profitability, and grow with confidence. The company serves more than 11,000 construction businesses across residential, commercial, and specialty trades, helping contractors manage their sales, estimating, budgets, schedules, selections, change orders, job costing, communication, and reporting in one connected platform.
Under Fortenberry’s leadership, JobTread has experienced rapid growth and earned national recognition as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America. The company was ranked No. 6 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 in 2025, named the No. 1 fastest-growing technology company in North Texas by Tech Titans two years in a row, and recognized as the No. 1 Best Place to Work in Dallas by the Dallas Business Journal. JobTread has also earned more than 1,000 five-star Google reviews from customers, reflecting the company’s commitment to exceptional service, practical innovation, and long-term customer success.
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 Southwest finalists represent North Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma across all industries, including professional services, consumer products, health, mobility and more.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 20, during a special celebration in Dallas 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.
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 overall National winner represents the US at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.
About EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.
Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.
All in to shape the future with confidence.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visitey.com.
About JobTread
JobTread provides end-to-end construction management software to help jobs based businesses more efficiently manage all of their processes, from pre-construction through to project completion. The platform creates a central location to manage jobs, teams, schedules, documents, photos, finances, customers, vendors, sub-contractors, and more all in one place. Its budget-first approach creates financial transparency at every stage of a project, mitigating risk and ensuring the project stays on time and on budget. Get organized, complete your projects on time, and increase your profits with JobTread.
To learn more about JobTread, visit www.jobtread.com or call 972-388-1001.
Follow JobTread online:
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Twitter: @JobTread
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jobtread
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