The Starke County Economic Development Foundation has officially announced that this year’s Starke Tank event will expand county-wide for small businesses looking to open or expand.
In recent years, the competition required the winner to locate within three miles of North Judson. This year’s winner will be able to locate a business anywhere in Starke County, a recent decision made by the Starke County Economic Development Foundation board of directors.
According to information submitted by the Foundation, Kirt Verhagen, who grew up in North Judson, funded the first event in 2020 to help his hometown to grow. Abrams Studios won that competition and located their software development business in a space leased from the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation. They have since released two virtual reality video games.
The Point Drive-In in North Judson won the 2021 competition. The longtime business is under new ownership, which made it eligible to compete. Owner Cheryl Smith used the prize money to add a FlavorBurst ice cream machine and plans to make additional capital renovations to the property.
This year’s competition will take place on Saturday, September 17 at 6 p.m. CT at the North Judson-San Pierre High School.
Contestants can sign up for free. They will receive free coaching from a Small Business Development Center advisor and will be required to participate in a dress rehearsal. Entry forms and a complete list of rules are available online at www.scedf.biz.
Contact the Starke County Economic Development Foundation at 574-772-5627 or mperren@scedf.biz for more information about Starke Tank 2022 sponsorships.
