FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Advance, Green Bay Economic Development, (920) 496-2113
Green Bay, WI (February 28, 2007) Fifty-three entries from throughout northeast Wisconsin were submitted to the 2nd Annual Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition, and five have advanced into the prize winning round of the competition. The five award winners are located in the communities of Campbellsport, Oshkosh, Green Bay, Menasha, and New London.
On March 2, 2007, the five finalists will make a 10 to 15-minute presentation about their business plan to a panel of judges as a part of the competition. Their order of finish will be determined after the presentations and will be announced at a press conference at 11 am. A total of $25,000 in prizes will be awarded in the following format: $10,000 for first place; $6,000 for second place; $4,000 for third place $3,000 for fourth place; and $2,000 for fifth place. Prize money must be used to put the business plan into action within one year of its receipt.
Business plans are a critical tool in the proper planning and launch of new ventures and are the preferred mode of communication between entrepreneurs, innovators and potential investors. The goal of the Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition is to encourage the preparation of business plans for start-up businesses, making significant changes to existing businesses, or launching new products in northeast Wisconsin.
The competition is coordinated by the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Economic Partnership (NEWREP) and the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of the Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN-NE). The competition is sponsored by NEWREP, the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board, New North, Wisconsin Public Service, Alliant Energy, We Energies, Dominion, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Fox Valley Technical College, Lakeshore Technical College, Moraine Park Technical College, the UW-Oshkosh College of Business, the UW-Oshkosh Center for Community Partnerships and the Bay Area Workforce Development Board.
Developed on the premise of economic development, Advance is a public-private partnership committed to improving and diversifying the local economy. Since its inception in 1987, the Advance Business Development Center business incubator has graduated more than 100 start-up companies. Providing local business assistance for retention, labor, recruiting, expansion and relocation, Advance is at the core economic development in the Green Bay area.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Established in 1882, the mission of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote economic and community development. Chamber programs include Advance, Partners in Education, Leadership Green Bay, Brown County Teen Leadership, Bay Area Community Health Partnership, Good Government Council, the International Business Development Consortium and the Small Business Council.
For more information about Advance, contact Barb Fleisner, 496-2113, bfleisner@titletown.org. For more information about the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and its programs, call 437-8704 or visit www.titletown.org.
###
