Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program Hosts Quick Pitch Competition

May 1, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. — Students had the chance to win two $1,000 scholarships during the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship program's quick pitch business competition April 17.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergraduate students had to give a two-and-a-half-minute pitch and then answer three minutes of questions from a panel of judges.

A total of 26 students from a pool of nearly 80 applicants were selected to pitch at the event with ideas ranging from grain handling systems to niche beef brands.

The competitors were split into two separate divisions: freshman/sophomore and junior/senior.

After presenting, students had the opportunity to sit down with judges and gain valuable feedback about how to improve their ideas and presentations, said Larissa Wach, a sophomore agribusiness major from Wauneta and one of the student leaders for the competition.

"Many of the students found that this was their favorite part about getting to be a part of this competition," Wach said. "All of the students who participated did a tremendous job and our judges had a tough time determining a winner."

Freshman/sophomore division winner was a two-way tie between Logan Peters, animal science major from Pender, and Jeff Hornung, an agribusiness major from Davey. Peters' idea was LP Meats, which was a business that raises Wagyu cattle to sell branded beef product direct to consumers and restaurants. Hornung's idea was Truck and Tool Trader, which was a business that offers an efficient avenue for purchasing, selling, trading and transporting new/used fire and rescue equipment.

From the junior/senior division Marissa Grooms, am agronomy major from Valentine, won with her Central Nebraska Soil Sampling business pitch. Her business provided grid and zone sampling services with greater efficiency than competitors by taking care of all steps in the soil sampling process, including delivery of laboratory results to the producer or agronomist.

The winning students in each division were able to apply the scholarship toward his or her major. Peters and Hornung spilt the $1,000 scholarship due to the tie. Grooms was awarded a $1,000 scholarship.