A team of Harding students took first place for the first time since 2006 in the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition on Wednesday, beating 50 collegiate teams and garnering a total of $28,000.
The team consisted of senior engineering majors Andrew Brackins, Zachary Clevinger, Brad Wheeler and Alexander Wang, senior sports and recreation management major Cody Veteto and junior accounting major Austin Yates. According to Yates, their winning idea, T.I.R.E. (Tire Inflation and Regulation Equipment), is a system that allows air to pass through the axel of a bike and up into the tire while it is rotating. After the idea was solidified, the team created a 40-page business plan that outlined every facet of what would need to be done to create a working company.
According to Yates, out of the 50 teams that submitted a plan, 12 were chosen to present in front of the judges. The teams were then narrowed down to the final six and overall winners were selected.
“It’s exciting to represent Harding on what will now be a national scale, because it proves to all of the people who think that Harding is just a place to be spiritually enhanced that we can compete with the bigger colleges that surround us,” Yates said. “I now feel confident going into the workforce.”
Clevinger said he and the other engineers were hesitant to get involved, but he is glad they committed.
“Through this whole experience I’ve learned so many things that a normal class wouldn’t force you to learn,” Clevinger said. “It has provided me with more practical knowledge for my career than any class has, because I’ve been able to work at things and see the result.”
According to Dr. Allen Frazier, associate dean of college of business and faculty advisor to T.I.R.E., the business and engineering departments have been teaming up for almost a decade.
“They are talking to people who help startup businesses get funding, and getting to have candid conversations with them, ” Frazier said.
T.I.R.E. will compete against the top two teams from Oklahoma and Nevada in the Tri-State competition May 27-28 in Las Vegas, Nev.
