From left: Tom Paine, CEO of Metalworks; Monica Jewell, executive director of Pennies from Heaven Foundation; Jeremy Holmes, senior vice president & COO of West Shore Bank; Troy Veeneman, Momentum winner; Kim Ambrose, co-owner of Sister Bees; Jim Scatena, retired executive & business consultant; and Brandy Miller, president & CEO of the Chamber Alliance of Mason County.
LUDINGTON — The Roots Peony Farm won the grand prize of $15,000 in the Momentum Business Plan Competition Thursday evening. The prize was awarded after finalists presented their business pitches to a live audience and a panel of judges during the event at Ludington Area Center for the Arts.
Business owner, Troy Venneman, was presented a check from the Pennies from Heaven Foundation and will also receive $10,000 worth of business support services during the coming year.
Momentum Pitch Night is a “Shark Tank” style competition designed to help propel local businesses forward in Mason County. Other prize winners on Thursday were Hitch Hiker Coffee, earning a second-place prize of $10,000; and Rizzo’s Bread taking the People’s Choice Award of $5,000.
The Momentum Business Plan Competition is administered by the Chamber Alliance of Mason County and supported with funding from Pennies from Heaven. Support is lent from Metalworks, West Shore Bank, and Western Land Services, whose representatives share a passion for entrepreneurism in Mason County.
The contest was open to any Mason County for-profit or non-profit venture with a viable business idea, plan or invention – or existing organization or company with less than $250,000 in sales or revenue annually.
Five finalists were chosen from a pool of 14 applicants in April: Hitch Hiker Coffee, My Happy Place, Rizzo’s Bread, The Roots Peony Farm, and Vintage Bloom Boutique. Each made a five-minute presentation and answered questions from the judges panel at Thursday’s event.
The Roots Peony Farm will be “grown from the ground up” in Hamlin Township to establish one of the region’s only peony flower farms. Veeneman will provide wholesale peonies to local flower shops, markets and buyers in the State of Michigan. Veeneman stated the high demand for this seasonal, sought-after flower will support the business, which will be the only opportunity within 100 miles of Mason County to secure the flower.
Momentum prize money will be used for initial planting costs, insurance, and website development/marketing. Veeneman hopes to start the business in Fall 2025 by planting peony roots, which take several years to grow into a marketable product. His plans are to eventually open a U-pick peony farm as well. The plants will live and produce flowers for 100 years, he said.
Veeneman intends to collaborate with the Ag-Science program at West Shore Community College, involving students in the initial planting and considering them as potential future employees.
The next business pitch competition is on a smaller scale and will be held at and sponsored by Epworth Heights. Registration is open now.
Entrepreneurs with a new or existing business idea have the chance to win $5,000 in start-up funds by participating in a pitch night on August 11.
No formal business plan is required to enter, and applications will be taken through July 11. From the applications, five finalists will be selected to present their business ideas to a panel of judges at Epworth Heights.
For more information on Momentum 5×5, visit http://ludington.org/momentum-competition.
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