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Vermont Tech Announces Business Plan Competition Winners

Monday, October 15, 2012

Six of Vermont’s burgeoning business stars have won a total of $19,000 in prizes in Vermont Tech’s 2012 Food and Farm Business Plan Competition. The competition for food- and farm-related businesses encourages new business development. Open to residents and students in Washington, Orange, and Windsor Counties, the prizes were awarded on Friday, following presentations to a panel of judges.

“At every stage of the competition, we were truly impressed with the individuals and businesses who came to us with ideas and business plans that show the broad range of creative thinking here in Vermont,” said Steve Paddock, Director of the Vermont Tech Enterprise Center, a business incubator designed to support growth companies. “The finalists stood out, but the competition was steep.”

The winners include:

Student Category:
Douglass Calderwood: $3,000
Calderwood, a senior at Vermont Tech, created a plan for a goat dairy in Craftsbury.
   
Pictured (from l to r): Roger Allbee, Vermont Tech Senior Scholar; Doug Calderwood, Echo Hill Farm, VTC Student; Steve Paddock, Director, Vermont Tech Enterprise Center
New Business Category:
First place, $5,000
Raven Hill Farm Natural Meat, Braintree
Katja Evans
 
Pictured (from l to r): Roger Allbee, Vermont Tech Senior Scholar; Katja Evans, Raven Hill Farm, Braintree; Steve Paddock, Director, Vermont Tech Enterprise Center
Second place, $2,500
Vermont Whey Fed Pig Company, Waitsfield
Ignacio Villa
   
Pictured (from l to r): Roger Allbee, Vermont Tech Senior Scholar; Ignacio Villa, VT Whey Fed Pig Company, Waitsfield; Steve Paddock, Director, Vermont Tech Enterprise Center
Existing Business Category:
First place. $5,000
Freedom Foods, Randolph
Cathy Bacon
   
Pictured (from l to r): Roger Allbee, Vermont Tech Senior Scholar; Cathy Bacon, Freedom Foods, Randolph; Steve Paddock, Director, Vermont Tech Enterprise Center
Second place, $2,500
Green Mountain Flour, Windsor
Zachary Stremlau
Daniella Malin 
   
Pictured (from l to r): Roger Allbee, Vermont Tech Senior Scholar; Zachary Stremlau & Daniella Malin, Green Mountain Flour, Windsor; Steve Paddock, Director, Vermont Tech Enterprise Center
Third place. $1,000
Rhapsody Natural Foods, Cabot
Sjon Welters
   
Pictured (from l to r): Roger Allbee, Vermont Tech Senior Scholar; Sjon & Elysha Welters, Rhapsody Natural Foods, Cabot; Steve Paddock, Director, Vermont Tech Enterprise Center
Runner up:
Yummy Yammy, Norwich
Lisa Johnson
 
Runner up:
Tulsi Tea Room, Montpelier
Solenne Thompson
 
The competition was open to farm and food individuals and businesses engaged in food production, processing, distribution, packaging, or retailing including restaurants. Also eligible were those in the agriculture enterprises of wood products, equine-related businesses, and fiber production. The Vermont Small Business Development Center offered Application Workshops in April to help those interested create high-quality applications.

For more information, contact Steve Paddock at spaddock@vtsbdc.org or 802.728.9101.

About Vermont Technical College – Vermont Technical College is the only public institution of higher learning in Vermont whose mission is applied education. One of the five Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Tech serves students from throughout Vermont, New England, and beyond at its two residential campuses in Williston and Randolph Center, regional campuses in Brattleboro and Bennington and at six nursing sites located throughout the state. Our academic programs encompass a wide range of engineering technology, agricultural, health, and business fields that are vital to producing the knowledge workers need most by employers in the state and in the region. www.vtc.edu.