By Denise Hart
UNH News Bureau
603-862-1462

April 25, 2003

DURHAM, N.H.-Outstanding business students at the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore School of Business and Economics will vie for the Paul J. Holloway, Jr. Business Plan prize, Friday afternoon, May 2, at the New England Conference Center in Durham. The event is free and open to the public.

Paul Holloway, Download photo here

"Competing for the prize provides students with an opportunity to test their ingenuity and business acumen in the real world situation of developing and presenting a business plan," says Steve Bolander, dean of the Whittemore School. "This year, we celebrate the 15th year of the Holloway Competition, one of the longest-running business planning competitions in the country. We invite members of the community to join us in honoring the many successes of the program and all those who have contributed to this achievement."

The annual competition awards prizes to both undergraduate and graduate students, either as teams or individuals, who develop the most realistic plans for starting, acquiring or expanding a business venture in each of two tracks: high growth ventures and lifestyle ventures. The six judges base their decisions on both presentation and the plan itself. The May 2 event features three finalists in each category presenting their business plans for about 15 minutes followed by a brief question and answer period before the panel of judges. This year's cash awards are $4,000
each for the winning undergraduate and graduate business plan. Undergraduate and graduate runner-ups in both categories are given cash awards of $900 each.

The competition, established by Holloway's family, honors the Exeter business leader's entrepreneurial spirit by stimulating and recognizing outstanding business plans. Holloway began his career in the automotive industry and starting in 1967, shaped a multi-franchise dealership emphasizing customer service and satisfaction. Holloway then extended his business skills to the development and management of eldercare facilities.

His strong commitment to public service has led to contributions as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University System of New Hampshire, the board of Berwick Academy, fund-raising programs for Temple University in Pennsylvania and the Governor Dummer Academy in Massachusetts in addition to involvement with other nonprofit organizations and charitable programs.

Holloway Competition

Graduate Finalists:

Lifestyle:

Mary Cleveland, Top Notch, Hampton, NH 03842
Jeff Rapsis, El Toucan, Bedford, NH 03110
Mike Carmichael, The McRae Group, Newington, NH 03801
Denise Laferte, The McRae Group, Newburyport, MA 01950
Ed Rowe, The McRae Group, Amesbury, MA 01913

High Growth:

Jim Losee, Active Acoustics, Mason, NH 03048
Douglas McClellan, ECR Pollution Control, Windham, NH 03087
Bill Scheer, Movies To Go, Essex Junction, VT 05452

Undergraduate Finalists

Lifestyle:

Jessica de Pontbriand, JajaBell's, Nashua, NH 03063
Jason David Wood, The Apple Seed Inc., Rochester, NH 03839-5619
Lindsey MacAleese, In-Home Care Inc., Walpole,MA 02081

High Growth:

Justin Bruce, The ArseniZ™Advanced Filtration System, North Andover, MA 01845
Sean Gaffney, The Oliverian School, Laconia, NH 03246-2027
Louis M. Levin, Seacoast Premium Finance, LLC Waterford, CT 06385
Justin S. Gamester, Seacoast Premium Finance, LLC Portsmouth, NH 03801

"The plans and presentations seem to get better every year," notes Bill Naumes, associate professor of strategic management and Holloway Competition coordinator for 13 years. "Many of the previous winners have gone on to successfully implement their business ideas. The activity helps to develop an understanding among our students of the complexity of starting and managing a business. These are skills that will help them in any business they enter, whether as an entrepreneur or as a manager for someone else's company."

The Holloway Business Plan Competition begins at 1 p.m. with the undergraduate presentations for Lifestyle and High Growth Ventures, followed by the graduate student entries at 3 p.m. A reception follows at 4:30 p.m. with an awards presentation scheduled for about 5:15 p.m. For more information, contact the dean's office at 862-1983 or check the competition's website at: http://www.unh.edu/management/holloway/holloway.html

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