Tomball Controls founder wins Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Gulf South award

Kyle Reynolds, CEO and founder of Tomball Controls, was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Gulf South winner by Ernst & Young LLP at a ceremony in Austin. The recognition puts Reynolds in line to compete for the national award in November 2026 and spotlights the rapid growth of the Texas manufacturer. Why it matters: - The award elevates Tomball Controls and Reynolds among high-growth founders in the Gulf South. - The win can expand visibility with customers, partners and investors in power generation and data center infrastructure. - Reynolds is now eligible to compete for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Award in November 2026. What happened: - Ernst & Young LLP named Kyle Reynolds, CEO and founder of Tomball Controls, LLC, an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Gulf South award winner. - The award was presented at a ceremony in Austin, Texas, in front of business leaders from across the Gulf South region. - The Gulf South winners were chosen from nominees across Texas and Louisiana. - 13 winners were selected this year. The details: - Entrepreneur Of The Year has recognized transformational business leaders for nearly 40 years. - Past winners include the founders of Starbucks, Dell, Zoom and LinkedIn. - An independent panel of judges made up of former winners, CEOs and private equity and venture capital investors selected the winners. - Judges evaluated nominees on long-term value creation, growth, purpose and impact. - Reynolds said the recognition belongs to the more than 400 men and women who work at Tomball Controls. - Reynolds said the company has built a world-class manufacturing operation in just over four years. - Reynolds said Tomball Controls has earned the trust of customers in power generation and data center infrastructure. - Tomball Controls was founded in 2022. - Tomball Controls grew from a small sheet metal fabrication operation into a manufacturer of custom sound-attenuated generator enclosures, fuel tanks and access platforms. - The company serves data center and mission critical infrastructure customers nationwide. - Tomball Controls operates three facilities across Texas. - Tomball Controls employs more than 400 people. - The company ranked No. 65 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America in 2025. - Tomball Controls ranked No. 1 in San Antonio on the Inc. 5000 list in 2025. - The company was named the San Antonio Business Journal Business of the Year in 2025. - Tomball Controls ranked No. 7 on the Inc. Vet 100 in 2025. - The company website is tomballcontrols.com . - The company’s LinkedIn page is Tomball Controls . Between the lines: - The award signals that Tomball Controls has moved beyond startup status and into a national growth story. - The combination of manufacturing scale, mission-critical customers and rapid headcount growth helped position Reynolds for recognition. - The 2025 honors suggest the company was already gaining momentum before this regional award. What’s next: - Reynolds will compete for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Award in November 2026. - The national award will be presented at the Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, California. - Tomball Controls is likely to use the recognition to strengthen its profile as it continues serving data center and power generation markets.