Local business Hungry Hound Beer Grain Treats has been chosen as a winner of The American Small Business Championship hosted by SCORE. Owners Casey Parker and Edward Kincer work with breweries all across New York and Pennsylvania and turn their waste product also known as spent grain into all natural dog treats.
Spent grain is a byproduct of the beer brewing process in which sugars and starches are extracted from the grain during the mashing process. The “spent” grain is then removed and typically discarded. But wait – spent grain still has a lot of nutritional value and dogs LOVE it!
SCORE is a national nonprofit dedicated to mentoring small business owners, and generously supported by Sam’s Club, a leading U.S. membership club serving small businesses since 1983. The Championship awarded the title to 103 small businesses for their dedication to the success of their businesses. The American Small Business Champions will each receive a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card, an all-expense-paid trip to a regional training event, SCORE mentoring for one year and publicity throughout the year.
Hungry Hound Beer Grain Treats earned the title of American Small Business Champion by submitting an online application answering the question “What dream would you be able to achieve if you were to win this Championship”; nominations which garnered at least 100 votes were then presented to a judging panel of small business experts that determined 103 winners including Hungry Hound Beer Grain Dog Treats.
“We are so very excited and extremely humbled to be selected as one of the 2016 American Small Business Champions, we are looking forward to taking our business to the next level with the help and support of SCORE and SAMs Club. We want to thank everyone that has helped and supported us along the way especially SCORE and SAMs Club for making this contest and mentoring available to all of us”, said Casey Parker, owner of Hungry Hound Beer Grain Dog Treats.
“We are honored to work with Sam’s Club for the second year in a row to recognize these Champions’ efforts,” said Ken Yancey, CEO of SCORE. “Our hope is that winning the American Small Business Championship will help them envision and achieve the next dream for their companies. These Champions embody the passion, determination and drive of America’s small business owners.”
“Each Champion represents the passion and dedication it takes to own and manage a small business. We saw stories from wide variety of businesses and each one was truly unique and inspiring – from bakery owners to photographers to financial advisors,” said Tracey Brown, senior vice president and chief member officer for Sam’s Club. “Sam’s Club is committed to helping small business owners overcome obstacles by providing resources and helping them save money and time. We look forward to seeing all of the Champions take their business to the next level so they can grow and realize their dreams.”
Hungry Hound Beer Grain Treats is also eligible to win an additional $25,000 grand prize by being named Grand Champion. A judging panel of small business experts will select one Grand Champion from the group of Small Business Champions this summer. Selection is based on how effectively Champions utilize the Sam’s Club gift card and the SCORE regional training events to grow business revenue, as well as how effectively the winners promoted the Championship in the media and social media.
To learn more about The American Small Business Championship and to view the complete list of Champions, visit www.championship.score.org.
