Awards Gala

The Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge Committee is excited to announce the winner of the $15,000 cash prize plus over $5,000 in in-kind services for 2007.

The winner is:

Titan Contract Welding – Kerry Weiland, Wardlow, AB

This year the runner up for the grand prize was Wendy Devent owner of Paws on the Run Pet Services Ltd, a local company that has just recently opened its doors. As Jacquie Penner, Dean of Business at Medicine Hat College and judge for the Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge said, “the contestants’ plans must go through an intense screening and judging process to make it to the Awards Gala. Even though both plans did not receive the grand prize, just getting this far is a testament to the quality of their business plans.”

The top two finalists presented to a crowd of more than 50 at the Awards Gala in Lethbridge this weekend including the sponsors, screeners, mentors, judges and local business people who made the Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge a success.

Chris Lindeman, Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge Coordinator said, “it was great to see such a wide variety of plans come in this year from such a wide area. We expanded this year and got registrations and business plan entries from every new area. It was exciting to see a contestant win from outside of the Lethbridge and Medicine Hat which are the major economic centres in the area that the Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge encompasses. It just proves that the Challenge is reaching the smaller areas and diversifying Alberta’s rural economy.”

The winner received $15,000 in cash to be used within their business as well as services from Meyers Norris Penny LLP and KICK Creative Group. – which will assist them to promote their goods and services. Congratulations again to Titan Contract Welding and Paws on the Run all look forward to seeing their businesses develop and grow!