By Hillary Gavan
For StatelineBusiness

BELOIT - Students tried their hands at running a business during the Rock County Junior Achievement Business Challenge.

Held in January at Beloit Memorial Hospital, the business strategy tournament used the JA Titan software program, an online business education tool, to test the business skills of local high school students. The eight teams competing were from local high schools including Beloit Memorial and Beloit Turner high schools as well as Janesville Craig and Parker high schools.

During Thursday's event the student teams competed against each other to market and manufacture a fictional product called a halo-generator. The competition was uniquely designed to unleash student creativity, test leadership skills and demonstrate the competitive nature of the free enterprise system.

Volunteer business consultants from the community sat with each team to assist students with making quarterly business decisions in the areas of price, production, marketing, research and development, capital investment and charitable giving.

One of the business consultants at the event was Hendricks Development Group Eastern Regional Asset Manager Jim Reeseburg. As Beloit Memorial High School students Nikki Kuikman, 14, and Joel Bennington, 14, tried to make decisions about research and development, Reeseburg hovered over them.

Reeseburg explained how the software program allows students to get information from virtual staff members and make decisions on unit prices, capitol and products. Then the computer ranks the virtual company's profitability by a performance index rating. The Bennington-Kuikman team was up to 85.

Bennington said his team improved its performance after investing more in research and development.

The two students agreed it was an interesting experience. Kuikman said she took a business class at school to prepare her to open her own photography business one day. Bennington said he hoped to go into business as well.

Beloit Memorial High School business teacher MaryKaye Richardson said the event was a good way to pique students interest about business.

"It enlightens them to something they would have never done before," Richardson said.

The top performing teams took home more than $2,000 in scholarships. First place went to Beloit Turner High School students Matt Santas and Jaron Bertelsen. Their business mentor was Angel Tullar, with the School District of Janesville.

Other winners were:

¤ 2nd Place - Joshua Kramar and Rajeev Viswanathan of Beloit Turner High School with mentor Marquita Davis of Johnson Bank

¤ 3rd Place - Dillon Burke and Dustin Rucinski of Janesville Parker High School with mentor Shelly Bengston of Blackhawk Community Credit Union.

¤ 4th Place - Josh Weichmann and John Savona of Janesville Craig High School with mentor Mike Faust of Consigny, Andrews, Hemming and Grant, S.C.

¤ 5th Place - Jacob McMahon and Alex Kniffin of Beloit Turner High School with mentor Dale Townsend of Corporate Contractors,Inc.

Junior Achievement of Rock County Director Shelly Stefanczyk thanked Beloit Memorial Hospital for hosting the event.

The sponsors included ABC Supply Co., Inc., Col. Robert Morse Foundation, Chase, Prent Corporation, Rock Road Companies, Hendricks Development Group, Lab Safety Supplly, Mercy Health System, Hufcor, Inc., and Mitchell W. Pelsue, DDS.

Junior Achievement's purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.

Junior Achievement is the largest fastest-growing, non-profit economics and financial literacy education organization in the world, reaching approximately 5.2 million students worldwide. For more information visit the organization's Web site at www.wisconsin.ja.org.