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$25,000 Century Business Challenge Winners Named

The winners of the $25,000 Century Business Challenge were named Thursday afternoon at the Century Business Center. But in the end, it appears the contest may foster more winners by sparking a spirit of entrepreneurship and friendship in Century.

Judges decided to split the $25,000 prize — with $20,000 going to East Hill Academy to be used toward a special needs school in Century and $5,000 to the Abundant Life Children of Hope Center childcare center.

In addition to the operating funds from the Studer Institute, the winners will be offered space inside the Century Business Center at $1 per year, with the possibility of an extension of that rate for two more years based on the group’s performance.

“These kids need to have a school in Century that is theirs, that is part of their community, Barbara Barber of East Hill Academy, and the soon-to-be Century Academy said. “This was a real win for the special needs children in the local area.”

East Hill Academy operates schools for children with learning disabilities  in Pensacola and Milton. As a private non-profit organization providing educational services to about 135 children (grades 1-12) with Autism and other related disorders, the school seeks to help students succeed when otherwise their learning disabilities make it impractical to place them in a regular school setting.

Barber said the new Century Academy should open in the fall of 2016, prepared to serve about 20 students with two classrooms. Plans call for the addition of at least one new classroom per year.  Negotiations are underway to locate the Century Academy in a portion of the former Carver/Century K-8 School.

While Century Academy will be a private pay school, Barber said any child with an “IEP” (Individualized Education Program) at their current school would be eligible for a scholarship that would cover tuition and fees. There are currently 368 students with an IEP in school in the Century and Walnut Hill areas that would eligible for the Century Academy, she said.

“I’m excited,” Heather Smith, director of the Abundant Life Children of Hope daycare center said. “We were honored and grateful to be awarded part of the prize.”

While the project was in in the running for the Century Business Challenge, the daycare was already up and running as of June 1 at the Abundant Life Assembly of God Church with space for 29 children six weeks old to Pre-K…allowing their mothers, or  fathers, the chance to go to work or school.

Smith said she had long seen the need for a daycare in Century, and the business challenge competition caused the church to look seriously at the plan.

Shortly after the winners were announced Thursday afternoon, representatives of the new Century Academy and the daycare were already discussing how they could partner to benefit one another.

It’s those sparks and ideas that have Century Mayor Freddie McCall ready to move full steam ahead with business development in Century.

“This is a great day for Century,” McCall said. “We are sending a message that Century is ready for business. We are ready to showcase our facilities and the business center as an incubator. We are ready to utilize the buildings and put people to work.”

Three other business ideas made it all the way through the competition to Thursday’s announcement: Wayne Key of Permedico, LLC, is creating medical software to record personal health history and make it more presentable to doctors and emergency rooms. Kevin and Judi Hogan, with TaraTiki Enterprises, have developed a unique golf accessory, and Holly Driver wanted to open the Holly L. Driver School of Music in Century.

Not winning the competition may not be as setback for the additional business ideas.

“We now have a patent on our product,” Kevin Hogan said. “We are going to move ahead; we’ve even placed our first order for the product.”

Hogan’s TaraTiki Enterprises will produce a self-dispensing golf ball holder ready to attach to any golf bag.

He said the company would have used the Century Business Center prize and location to establish a distribution center for the golf product. Even without the prize, Kevin Hogan said he’s still eyeing a Century location, and local employees, for his shipping and handling services.

The Century Business Challenge was part of an economic development partnership of the Haas Center, the Town of Century and the Studer Institute. The Studer Institute provided the $25,000 prize money.

There were 10 applicants, with five actually submitting business plans. The Small Business Development Center at the University of West Florida worked with the five applicants over the last several months to develop their business plans.

Pictured top: Representative of the future Century Academy discuss the Century Business Challenge prize with judge Mollye Barrows of the Studer Institute. Pictured inset: Barbara Barber of East Hill and Century academies reacts to winning $20,000 in the business competition. Pictured bottom: Representatives of Abundant Life Children of Hope daycare center and Century Mayor Freddie McCall (background). NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.