Seven Hills Dairy was announced as the first place winner for the 2012 Business Plan Competition, which is part of Ohio's Muskingum County Business Incubator. Conducted annually for the past seven years, the Business Plan Competition is a contest for start-up businesses, as well as existing businesses less than 2 years old. It requires the development of a business plan and projections along with a 15-minute presentation promoting the new business. For winning the grand prize, Seven Hills Dairy was awarded $5,000 in cash and another $5,000 in services.
“This isn’t really the end, this is the beginning,” MCBI Regional Director Jessica Sherman told competitors.
After months of preparation, entrepreneurs for businesses as varied as a fitness programs and equipment, an entertainment magazine and a card game for couples had made their business pitches before a panel of judges vying for awards to aid in getting their fledgling businesses off the ground.
“Today is always exciting because we have people who are willing to step out on that branch and take a chance,” said Carol Humphries, local MCBI executive director.
“These people have done even more. They have planned it. They have been challenged by their ideas. These were all very good ideas. All six of these ideas would make very good businesses.”
Employing a different bedding process for animals – compost bedding – was the factor that set Seven Hills Dairy apart from others as a winner.
“We will have new equipment that isn’t used in the United States yet, so we will be a showcase for other dairies to learn from,” Dora Maxwell said of the dairy.
Maxwell said winning the competition will help the business buy a new computer system and software to track each cow.
“It will be a big impact on the farm,” she said.
“We are in the final processes of starting our dairy in March or April. What will set our dairy apart is that we are starting up after many have folded. There were 150 dairies in Muskingum County during the 1960s and now there are 13 today. That’s a big difference. It is a lot of hard work.”
Sherman said a big part of this year’s evaluations was how close the entrepreneurs were to starting their business.
“It was about how close they were to making an impact in the region with their business — how soon will they be bringing industry, employees into our region, or in the case of Seven Hills Dairy, new technology into the region,” she said. PD
—From the Zanesville Times Recorder (Click here to read the full article.)
