DANBURY, CONN. — Ray Boa, owner of A&J Construction in Brookfield, will receive the 2012 Macricostas Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Western Connecticut State University at a luncheon to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012.

For more than 20 years, Boa has worked to build his business, now a major paving company in the state, from the ground up. The son of hard-working Portuguese immigrants, Boa is a first-generation college graduate, earning his bachelor’s in business administration from Western in 1977.

In an economic climate where people are watching every dime and businesses are collapsing under financial strain, Boa said his number of employees has grown from 35 to 50 and he’s introduced three new product lines to his construction and asphalt paving business. Today’s tough economy, Boa said, means that he needs to work harder than ever to find business and make sure that his customers are receiving the best service he can provide.

“I try to be innovative and work harder in this economy,” said Boa, who lives in Brookfield with his wife Zulmira, also an entrepreneur. The couple have three grown children: Kelly is a sales training manager for Sealed Air; Lori is a nurse in the cardiac unit at a Boston children’s hospital; and, following in his father’s footsteps, Joseph heads up A&J’s asphalt milling division.

The luncheon to honor Boa will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Amber Room, 1 Stacey Road in Danbury. Seats may be reserved at a cost of $50 per person by calling (203) 837-8279. Funding for the award is provided by a grant from the foundation of Brookfield industrialist and philanthropist Constantine “Deno” Macricostas and his wife Marie.

Boa said he was excited to learn how much he has in common with Macricostas; the two share not only an entrepreneurial spirit, but both are the sons of hard-working immigrants and raised on farms.

For more information about the award luncheon, call (203) 837-8279 or send an email inquiry to wolfs@wcsu.edu.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.