Assiniboine Agribusiness students celebrating after annual competition

Last Thursday, second year Agribusiness students at Assiniboine Community College culminated months of teamwork at the annual Agribusiness Plan Competition. 

In addition to bragging rights, the winning team led by of Jack Carels and Mike Mazier received $1,200 for their business plan of a fictional company named Westman Solar Ltd.

“Our plan was something innovative and different from the last few years that really put it over the top,” said Mazier, “everyone worked hard for their plans and it’s too bad that there has to only be one winner and not everyone can get the same award money as we did.”

Along the way, students were tasked with finding suitable mentors in the business community to provide real world expertise in operations, business management and accounting. They were encouraged to start collecting information for these plans during their co-op work experience during the summer.

Each of the 13 teams presented their plans to peers during Ag Days week this past January. The four top-ranked teams from that event continued on to present at the final competition round this past week at ACC’s Victoria Avenue East Campus. Graduates of the Agribusiness program judged those presentations and selected the order of winning teams.

For the fourth year in a row, Redfern Farm Services Ltd. has contributed $3,450 in monetary awards for the top four plans and presentations.

The other three teams in the finals developed business plans under the names Prairie Ag Fertilizers Ltd., South East Precision Aerial Ltd., True North Metal Works Ltd.

Agriculture training has been a significant focus at ACC since the early 1980s. The two-year Agribusiness diploma program averages over 30 graduates a year and has over 600 alumni. For more information on ACC’s Agribusiness program, visit assiniboine.net/agribusiness.

A full list of team members and their hometowns are as follows:

First Place ($1,200) — Westman Solar Ltd.

Jack Carels – Pilot Mound, MB

Mike Mazier – Justice, MB

Second Place ($1,050) — Prairie Ag Fertilizers Ltd.

Cheryl Kleemola – Miniota, MB

Daniel Miranda – Hamiota, MB

Amanda Boland – Melfort, SK

Third Place ($750) — South East Precision Aerial Ltd.

Kaylee Daniel – Hamiota, MB

Bailey Salyn – Rossburn, MB

Connor Johnson – Baldur, MB

Dillan Plews – Carnduff, SK

Fourth Place ($450) — True North Metal Works Ltd.

Nikki Sykes – Brandon, MB

Quinn Robins – Rivers, MB

Allison Snezyk – Neepawa, MB