Earlier this year, Main Street Iowa and the Iowa Economic Development Authority launched a new business competition program called “Open 4 Business.”
The competition was limited to the 51 Main Street communities in the state and the business had to be in the Main Street District. It could be a current business working to expand or a new business working to open. The competition was split into three parts: local contest, regional contest and state contest.
The local contests differed on how to find the winning business to submit to regionals. Osceola Chamber Main Street sent letters to all business within the Main Street district of Osceola to see if it would spark some interest.
Two local businesses took part in the local pitch-off on May 20, where new business hopeful Timber Ridge Country Market was selected to represent Osceola in the regional contest in Mount Pleasant at the end of June.
Pete and Cindy Woltz currently occupy 117 W. Washington St. on the north side of the square where they do their warehousing and inventory for their smoked meat business, Timber Ridge Cattle.
The site also serves as a drop-off location for the Iowa Food Cooperative, where people can shop in an online farmers’ market to get Iowa-produced goods once every two weeks.
The Woltzes decided the market and time was right to expand on the Iowa Food Cooperative model and work to build an old-time country market with locally produced goods.
“We already have access to over 1,500 products from over 100 Iowa producers through the Iowa Food Cooperative,” Pete said. “We will continue to work with the Coop to get wholesale prices on food that we can put in our storefront. We also hope to work with local vendors like the Farmer’s Market to give them more exposure.”
Timber Ridge Country Market made the pitch to the judges at the regional contest that this type of food was in demand on the market. Their customers want the best food that is locally grown and they could now offer this. While most other competitors like farmers’ markets were seasonal, Timber Ridge Country Market would be a six days a week operation.
The regional contest in Mount Pleasant heard six pitches and Timber Ridge Country Market did not disappoint.
Osceola Chamber Main Street Executive Director Derek Lumsden said, “They not only represented their business well, but the community as a whole. They talked about how important our history was as well as our future. Everyone should be proud of the job they did, regardless of the outcome of the contest.”
At regionals, the winner would win $8,000 and move on to the state contest at the end of August.
The winner of the state contest would win an additional $20,000 from Main Street Iowa.
“This is a real chance to do some economic development for small businesses,” Lumsden said. “Plus, with the contest requiring a personal investment by the business, this will show great public-private collaboration.”
The winners of the regional contests will be announced sometime the week of the Fourth of July. Each regional winner will receive a coach to help them prepare for the next round in Valley Junction.