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

Bryan Cameron Greig, a Westminster College International student and business administration major, was named winner of the 2015 David W. Edward Entrepreneurship Scholarship competition.

The competition, conducted by Westminster’s Department of Economics and Business and with funding from the Edward Trust in Youngstown, Ohio, requires students to prepare and present a business plan depicting the creation of a new or substantially improved business, product, service, or combination of the three. The competition culminated March 30, 2015 with business plan presentations by the students to a panel of judges.

Greig earned first place in the competition with a business plan titled, “Westminster Deliveries,” using a deceptively simple business model with low risk and high potential. His plan identified an unserved niche market at Westminster – the need or desire for a meal, matched with the inability or unwillingness to acquire it.

“While some may look at this need as an uncomplimentary commentary on student life, Mr. Greig wisely observed that with any need, there is profit potential,” said David Smith, associate professor of accounting and competition coordinator. “With an upfront investment of little more than a cell phone and its service plan, Mr. Grieg devised a business operation that has the potential to operate smoothly, efficiently and with multiple degrees of flexibility. His hours of operation, strategy for ordering and delivery, and overall means of achieving customer satisfaction were very well thought out.”

Greig, a son of Cameron and Heather Greig, is a graduate from of Regent House Grammar School in Newtownards, North Ireland.

“Westminster’s School of Business is full of knowledgeable, interesting, and interested faculty and students alike – and the small class sizes allow for significant contact time with professors and mentors who have genuine concern for a student's academic and personal development,” said Greig. “Competing in the Edward Business Plan scholarship competition allowed me to create a viable business by putting into practice everything I had learned in class - from marketing to yearly accounts - everything had to be covered. When I was given word that I had won the competition, I was truly ecstatic; my business plan had stood up to the scrutiny of three professionals thanks to a combination of my creativity and everything I had learned throughout the year at Westminster."

Alyssa Fyock, a sophomore business administration major, placed second. She is a daughter of Tab and Sheli Fyock and a graduate of Norwin High School. Ms. Fyock’s business plan, “Pumpin’ Pumps” involved the design, manufacture and distribution of highly specialized dress footwear for women. Her designs combine utility, style, comfort and price in a way that fits an unfilled niche market for women’s footwear. Plans for sales from both a brick and mortar location and via the Internet were developed to accompany a well-designed marketing plan.

Third place went to two individuals. Hanna Kappel, a junior accounting and business administration double major, is the daughter of John and Lois Kappel and a graduate of Ligonier Valley High School. Her business plan, “Extra Mile Fitness,” combined her passion of physical fitness with a philanthropic theme that can be used to draw clients interested in achieving both goals in one activity. The two concept were cleverly designed to make both activities complementary and more enjoyable, thus generating greater willingness to participate.

Also recieving third place was Darcie Gilson, a junior business administration major. She is the daughter of Douglas and Deborah Gilson of Mercer, PA, and a graduate of Mercer Area High School. Her business plan, titled “Hedgehog Hideaways,” identified hedgehogs as part of a growth market of lesser-known pets, and recognized that winners are often those that get into the market early to establish the name and the product. Her product is a sleeping sack for hedgehogs, which have unique physical and biological needs that make generic pet beds unsuitable for hedgehogs. A lot of research culminated in a simple design to satisfy these special needs.

The judges included Donald W. Smith ‘82, executive director, Regional Income Tax Agency, and Brandon Harlan, senior manager in the Health Care group at Arnett, Carbis and Toothman, LLC.

Contact Smith at (724) 946-7161 or smithdc@westminster.edu for additional information. 

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