Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
Bulldog Manufacturing and Design, Orleans High School’s school-based enterprise, and White River Valley High School’s Wolverine Enterprises earned top honors at the 2023 Conexus Student industries Case Competition.
Bulldog Manufacturing finished in second place in the inaugural competition. The team will receive a $4,000 cash prize to support their student-run business.
At the competition, Bulldog Manufacturing students presented to a panel of judges a program that they completed during the school year to transition their program from a traditional classroom to an operating school-based enterprise (SBE).
Bulldog Manufacturing students who participated were Pete Judah, Maguire Lamb, Alex DeWitt and Dane Freed.
WRV students identified a problem that Wolverine Enterprises encountered and described to the judges how they resolved it and how the solution will impact the future of Wolverine Enterprises. Participating students were Michael John Solliday, Brayden Borders and Mattlyn Hollingsworth.
Wolverine Enterprises prints spirit wear and does precision machining work. According to the business’ social media page, Wolverine Enterprises made $53,927 in 2022 and every student involved in the SBE received a paycheck.
Other schools receiving honors and cash prizes were Lincoln High School’s Lincoln Golden Eagle Industries and Perry Central Jr./Sr. High School’s Commodore Manufacturing. The schools will receive a total of $20,000 in cash prizes to support their SBEs – in-school entrepreneurial advanced manufacturing and logistics businesses that are managed and run by students.
The Case Competition, open to schools in Conexus Indiana’s Student Industries network, gave students a platform to showcase their practical problem-solving skills and the opportunity to present to and interact with local industry leaders and this year’s judges from Amatrol Inc., Arcamed, Hitachi Astemo, IUPUI, Kem Krest, Subaru of Indiana Automotive and The Hendey Group.