Widdifield student takes first place in business challenge

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The FedNor Business Challenge took place Tuesday September, 20th at the Hampton Inn hotel in North Bay.

Many students competed to be at the presentation night but only the top three business and marketing plan students were selected to attend the event. Among them was Lona Price-Jones from Widdifield Secondary School who took first place with a thorough marketing plan presentation that gave insight into the business opportunities of grooming horses.

The challenge allows students to choose a business opportunity and create a business or marketing plan to meet production or profit goals.

"It gives students an opportunity to take part in competitive, real life business scenarios, which creates an engaged classroom," said Widdifield Business Teacher Tyler Kidd.

Audience members included students, judges, made up of local business men and women, and North Bay Mayor Al McDonald.

“A great experience for all who took part,” adds Kidd.

More details in the Business Centre Nipissing Parry Sound Inc. news release below.

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The Business Centre Nipissing Parry Sound Inc. held the 2011 FedNor Business Plan Challenge Presentations and Awards Dinner on September 21, 2011 at Hampton Inn. The challenge featured six young entrepreneurs that created business and marketing plans and presented to a panel of three judges. The judges were Guy Paquette from FedNor, Pauline Rochefort from Nipissing University, and Neil Fox from Economic Partners Sudbury East- West Nipissing.

The winners in the Marketing Plan portion of the challenge were as follows:

1st Place: Lona Price-Jones from Widdifield Secondary School $500
2nd Place: Franceska Tremblay from École Secondaire Catholique Algonquin $300
3rd Place: Nikolas DeBernardi from École Secondaire Catholique Algonquin $100

The Winners in the Business Plan potion of the challenge were as follows:

1st Place: Robin Pelletier from École Secondaire Catholique Algonquin $800
2nd Place: Patrick Gaudreault from École Secondaire Algonquin $500
3rd Place: Matthew Robinson from Chippewa Intermediate and Secondary School $300

“We would like to congratulate all the students who participated in this year’s FedNor Business Plan Challenge. Their enthusiasm for entrepreneurship together with the support of their teachers and leadership from our Youth Coordinator, Cassie Quizon, combined to make this another successful Business Plan Challenge.”

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