News
Releases
June
1, 2010
Judges
in Place for Oswego County's "Next Great Idea" $25,000
Business Plan Competition
“The
Next Great Idea: 2010 Oswego County Business Plan Competition”
(NGI) has secured its panel of seven judges for this year’s
entries. $25,000 will be awarded to the winner at a November luncheon.
This
year’s judges include: Barbara Bateman, Alliance Bank; Paul
Williams, Felix Schoeller North America; Pam Roach, Hart & Stone
General Store; Roy Clark, Dunkin Donuts; Joe Fiumara, Fulton Community
Development Agency; Paul Vickery, Vickery Insurance; and Steve Osborne,
Fulton Savings Bank.
The
judges will evaluate the executive summaries and up to 5-10 semi-finalists
will be selected for round two. These semi-finalists are required
to submit a business plan that follows competition requirements
by Sept. 6, 2010. The winning team will be selected and announced
at a luncheon in Nov. 9, 2010.
Sponsors
for this year’s event include: Alliance Bank, Fulton Savings
Bank, Entergy, New York Business Development Corporation, Pathfinder
Bank, Operation Oswego County, Small Business Development Center,
National Grid, C&S Companies, Chirello Advertising, and Mitchell
Printing.
Media
sponsors for the event are Oswego County Business Magazine, OswegoCountyToday.Com,
The Palladium Times and Your News Now (YNN).
The
web site, www.oswegocounty.org/bizcomp.htm, includes an overview
of the event, a competition timeline, guidelines, details on the
$25,000 prize, sponsors, partners and contact information.
Jan. 29,
2010
Oswego
County's 2010 "Next Great Idea" Call for Entries, 2008
Winner Cites Award as Critical to Success
“The
Next Great Idea: 2010 Oswego County Business Plan Competition”
(NGI) is calling for entries for this year’s competition which
culminates with $25,000 awarded to the winner at a November awards
luncheon, said Austin Wheelock, economic development specialist
for Operation Oswego County (OOC).
Ocean
Blue Technology, LLC, (OBT), winner of the first NGI competition
in 2008 has been able to continue to grow as a result of the prize.
“Winning this competition has helped us move forward by leaps
and bounds,” said Paul Grimshaw, Ocean Blue’s co-owner.
“The
NGI timetable calls for eligible teams to submit an executive summary
of their idea by May 3, 2010,” Wheelock said. “A team
of judges will evaluate the executive summaries and up to 10-15
semi-finalists will be selected for round two. These semi-finalists
are required to submit a business plan that follows competition
requirements by Sept. 6, 2010. The winning team will be selected
and announced at a awards ceremony on Nov. 9, 2010.”
OBT
is owned and operated by Grimshaw, a marine biologist, and Rick
Harvell, manufacturing technologist. The Fulton-based company has
developed the DiveBudTM Scuba Safety Platform which is intended
to be safer than its current competitors, and has appeal in the
recreational diving market. The DiveBud is a floating marker with
a reflective flag and LED beacon that is tethered to the diver below.
“The
dangers to divers from boaters and jet skiers make a bull shark
look safe,” Grimshaw said. “The DiveBud helps divers
be seen and be safe.”
Since
winning the 2008 NGI competition, OBT has also developed a DiveBud
self-coiling scuba reel, and has plans for modifying the equipment
for commercial diving and Homeland Security applications. The products
are manufactured in Oswego County and sold in all major diving markets
including the Great Lakes region, Florida and California. More information
is available on their website, www.oceanbluetech.com.
“NGI
is the result of business and community leaders joining together
to create this competition that encourages entrepreneurs to commit
to new business development in Oswego County and offers a $25,000
prize to help make a dream come true,” Wheelock said.
The
web site, www.oswegocounty.org/bizcomp.htm,
includes an overview of the event, a competition timeline, guidelines,
details on the $25,000 prize, sponsors, partners and contact information.
In addition, the $25,000 can potentially be leveraged to borrow
up to $250,000 in partnership with local
banks, the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency, the cities
of Oswego and Fulton community development offices, the U.S. Small
Business Administration, and other economic development agencies.
The winner will also receive two free submissions to New York’s’
Creative Core $200,000, 2011 Emerging Business Competition.
To
assist the semi-finalists, SUNY Oswego’s Office for Business
and Community Relations will offer a free optional workshop in June
June to provide additional support for the business plan submission.
On
Nov. 9, the finalists must give a 20-minute presentation on their
business plan in-person to the panel of judges. Following the presentation,
a luncheon and awards ceremony announcing the winner will be held.
The $25,000 prize must be used to start or expand a business in
Oswego County.
“Our
organizing team believes that Oswego County offers a wealth of resources
and opportunities for businesses to start and flourish here. We
are all extremely excited to see what great ideas competition participants
generate,”
Wheelock said.
Media
sponsor for the event is Time Warner’s News 10 Now.
For
more information, visit the web site at www.oswegocounty.org/bizcomp.htm,
or Wheelock can be contacted at 315-343-1545 or at ngi@oswegocounty.org.
PHOTO
CAPTION: Ocean Blue Technoloties, LLC, (OBT),the 2008 winner
of The Next Great Idea Oswego County Business Plan Competition (NGI),
made a presentation to event sponsors on their company’s progress
recently at SUNY Oswego. From left: Rick Harvell, co-owner OBT;
Grimshaw; Thomas Greco, mortgage loan originator, Fulton Savings
Bank; Joy Campbell, assistant vice president, PathFinder Bank; and
Michael Quenville, vice president/business development officer,
PathFinder Bank.
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