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Westminster College Announces Winner of David W. Edward Entrepreneurship Scholarship Competition

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Posted on Monday, May 1, 2017

AJ Bove, sophomore accounting major at Westminster College, was named winner of the 2017 David W. Edward Entrepreneurship Scholarship competition. The competition conducted by Westminster’s School of Business with funding from the Edward Trust in Youngstown, Ohio, required students to prepare and present a business plan depicting the creation of a new or improved business, product, service, or combination of the three.

Bove’s business plan, “Odorex Gloves,” encompassed designing, manufacturing, and distributing athletic gloves made of a unique combination of InterDry fabric and INEX non slip (rubber) pads to prevent odorous buildup; a common problem within the sports industry with no current cost effective solution available.

“My plan was inspired by a real life problem that myself and many other athletes face” said Bove. “It’s a common practice for goalies and other glove-wearing athletes to toss their equipment in their gear bag after a practice or game. This only further compounds the stench issue.”

“While odor-tech is not unique, Mr. Bove is capitalizing on a market that appears to have a lot of growth potential because the market is still in the developmental stage” said Brian Petrus, instructor and program coordinator of marketing and the competition’s facilitator.

“When I first contemplated participating in this competition, I heavily researched all of my seemingly- brilliant, multi-million-dollar ideas that I thought might be winners. What I quickly found out, however, is that most of the ideas were already out there,” said Bove. “That’s when I began to narrow my focus down to a specific problem that I personally encounter. The development of my plan was a fun but in- depth process as it required thorough market research tied with financial implications.”

Bove is the son of Emil and Sandy Bove, and is a graduate of Hempfield Area High School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

The competition judges included Westminster employees Ken Romig, Vice President for FMS, Brian Petrus, Instructor/Program Coordinator, and Dr. Gail Miller, Professor of Business Emeritus.

Contact Petrus at (724) 946-6863 or petrusba@westminster.edu for additional information.