Posted on Monday, May 1, 2017
AJ Bove, sophomore accounting major at ¾¨Ó㴫ý, was named winner of the 2017 David W. Edward Entrepreneurship Scholarship competition. The competition conducted by ¾¨Ó㴫ý’s School of Business with funding from the Edward Trust in Youngstown, Ohio, required students to prepare and present a business plan depicting the creation of a new or improved business, product, service, or combination of the three.
Bove’s business plan, “Odorex Gloves,” encompassed designing, manufacturing, and distributing athletic gloves made of a unique combination of InterDry fabric and INEX non slip (rubber) pads to prevent odorous buildup; a common problem within the sports industry with no current cost effective solution available.
“My plan was inspired by a real life problem that myself and many other athletes face” said Bove. “It’s a common practice for goalies and other glove-wearing athletes to toss their equipment in their gear bag after a practice or game. This only further compounds the stench issue.”
“While odor-tech is not unique, Mr. Bove is capitalizing on a market that appears to have a lot of growth potential because the market is still in the developmental stage” said Brian Petrus, instructor and program coordinator of marketing and the competition’s facilitator.
“When I first contemplated participating in this competition, I heavily researched all of my seemingly- brilliant, multi-million-dollar ideas that I thought might be winners. What I quickly found out, however, is that most of the ideas were already out there,” said Bove. “That’s when I began to narrow my focus down to a specific problem that I personally encounter. The development of my plan was a fun but in- depth process as it required thorough market research tied with financial implications.”
Bove is the son of Emil and Sandy Bove, and is a graduate of Hempfield Area High School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
The competition judges included ¾¨Ó㴫ý employees Ken Romig, Vice President for FMS, Brian Petrus, Instructor/Program Coordinator, and Dr. Gail Miller, Professor of Business Emeritus.
Contact Petrus at (724) 946-6863 or petrusba@westminster.edu for additional information.
