IDEA Competition Winners to be Announced May 17th!

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2011 Competition and Awards



IDEA Competition winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet to be held May 17, from 5:00-8:30 p.m.at the Bede Ballroom on the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus.  The event is open to the public and pre-registration is required by May 13 at http://www.ideacompetition.org/.
The IDEA Competition kicked off last fall with 23 applications.  In the ensuing months, the field was narrowed to the following select group of finalists:
•           Kristine Goddard-Anderson and Elizabeth Petersen, Craft Night Out, Thief River Falls
•           Marilyn Graff, Banner Parking Poles, McIntosh
•           John Green, EDGE Performance Products, Thief River Falls
•           Allen Aaseby, Fred Hartmann, and Chuck Odegaard, Turn@bout, Thief River Falls
•           Christopher G. Hoffman, ReNewConcepts, Bemidji
•           David W. and Andrea L. Holmes, Light Weight Concrete Domes, Fosston
•           Barrett Jesness, Hall Automation LLC, Blue Panel, Bagley
•           Jason LaValley, Jorge Prince, and Roger LaValley, The PIPEMATE, Bemidji
•           Jeff Sullivan and Arnold Kleinsasser, EquipAll GrappleHoe, Bemidji
Final awards will be determined by a judging panel comprised of members from three area equity funds, bankers, successful entrepreneurs and business development professionals.  The panel will choose up to five winners who will each receive $10,000 to advance their business idea. 
Along with the awards presentation, the IDEA Competition Awards Banquet will feature displays of some of innovative products from around the region. David Mortenson, co-founder of Anytime Fitness will deliver the keynote speech. Dennis Brazier of Central Boiler, Greenbush and Glen Brazier of MATTRACKS, Karlstad, will be inducted into the IDEA Hall of Fame. Go to http://www.ideacompetition.org/ or call 800-659-7859.

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