Six businesses vying for $25,000 in annual Hormel competition

    Six local entrepreneurs with ideas for start-up/expanding business have been named finalists for the 2021 Hormel Entrepreneurship Competition and are looking for a share of $25,000 in prizes.
    The business will make their final presentations Friday at McCook Community College.
    Due to COVID concerns, members of the community will not be allowed to hear presentations this year.
    This year’s six finalists include:
    Happy’s Feed Store and Fuel Center, Camie Cox, Wauneta. Proposal: Business startup plan for a 24-hour fuel station with food, drinks, snacks and a full inventory of bagged animal feed, mineral and supplements.
    Heritage Acres Drive-thru Market, Chris and Paul Sandberg, Stratton. Proposal: Expanding their farmer’s market established in July 2020, selling their own products and food items from other producers. They specialize in foods grown sustainably by small producers.
    Katie Farrell Yoga & Pilates, McCook. Proposal: A plan to expand her one-on-one reformer pilates personal training, private yoga and mat pilates sessions, in-person and online/virtually, group yoga and mat pilates.
    Travis Henne Repair, McCook. Proposal: Expanding an ATV/UTV repair shop specializing in repair of Polaris, Suzuki and Kawasaki and other brands.
    Becky Wallen Videography, McCook. Proposal: Starting a full-service video and film business for weddings and events, and for businesses needing video for websites, social media, workshops or other presentations.
    Impact Closet Boutique LLC, Casha and Dan O’Byrne, Culbertson. Proposal: Expanding their mobile women’s clothing boutique based from their driveway, taking their 30-foot, enclosed mobile shop throughout the area.
    The competition was open to participants with a startup business idea or an existing business that has been operating no more than five years, who were looking to expand in southwestern Nebraska—Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock and Red Willow counties.
    The competition opened Nov. 1. Judges selected semifinalists who received scholarships (valued at about $336) to attend a mandatory eight-week online Entrepreneurship Business Plan writing class offered through Mid-Plains Community College this spring.
    Sharon Kircher, MPCC Business & Community Education Coordinator, said the main objective of the competition is to stimulate entrepreneurship and support business expansion in southwest Nebraska.