Finalists named for Hormel Competition
Eight local finalists have been named for the 2026 Hormel Entrepreneurship Competition.
Finalists include: Twin Pines Brewing Co. (brewery), Tanner Rousselle; Procrastinators, LLC dba Pour Farm (event space), Ronda Graff; Wildflower Childcare Center (childcare center), Bailey Meguire; Homestead Grains (flour/grain milling), Julie Stahly; McCook News Now, LLC (online news), Anna LaBay; Busy Bees Garden and Greenhouse (fresh produce/honey/soaps, etc.), Alissa Erickson; Sunny Valley Aerial (ag precision spraying), Evan Messersmith; Cakes & Confections (home-based bakery), Rebecca Peterson.
These finalists are in the running for up to $25,000 to start up or expand an existing business will make final presentations April 30 at McCook Community College’s East Campus Conference Room 1. Presentations begin at 11:35 a.m. and continue until 3:45 p.m. when the judges will deliberate with the awards presentations set for 4:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend.
This competition runs every other year and residents in seven southwest Nebraska Counties are eligible: Furnas, Frontier, Red Willow, Hayes, Hitchcock, Chase and Dundy counties.
This competition, which began in 2016, has operated with the belief that one of the best ways to keep Southwest Nebraska economically sustainable is to help support and develop the people and businesses already in place. Thanks to a generous donation from the Hormel family and many area sponsors, this competition helps turn dreams into reality.
In the three previous competitions almost 70 applicants have applied, with 49 chosen as semi-finalists and 27 finalists selected to present their plan to judges and received between $1,500 to $18,000 in prize money for their ventures. Previous first place winners have included Citta’ Deli in 2016-17, Saltwater Hills in 2018-19, Heritage Ventures in 2020-21, and Emily Young, Elevate Wellness, LLC in 2024.
This competition’s semifinalists were selected in December of 2025 to receive scholarships to pay for tuition and fees for the mandatory eight-week online Entrepreneurship Business Plan writing course offered through Mid-Plains Community College.
For the final presentation, each business will be allowed 30 minutes which includes five minutes for setup, 10 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for questions from the judges and five minutes for teardown.
Sponsors of this year’s competition include: McCook College Foundation, Community Hospital, MNB, Pinnacle Bank, McCook Economic Development and Mid-Plains Community College Business & Community Education.
The Hormel Family Foundation was founded in 1999 by the late Ben F. Hormel, a McCook entrepreneur, to support McCook Community College. When he passed in 2002, he passed on the torch to his children and grandchildren, who operate the foundation today. The foundation is committed to education, entrepreneurship and business development in the McCook and southwestern Nebraska economic region, and it is through this commitment the Hormel Entrepreneurship Competition was established.
