Sunny Valley Aerial wins top prize in Hormel Entrepreneurship Competition

Sunny Valley Aerial was named the top prize winner Thursday at the 2026 Hormel Entrepreneurship Competition. Evan Messersmith’s ag precision spraying business proposal was one of eight business presenting to judges at McCook Community College’s East Campus – all received a part of the $25,000 in prize money.

Sunny Valley Aerial was awarded a $10,000 first prize award.

Cakes & Confections, a home-based bakery by Rebecca Peterson received second place and $7,000. Homestead Grains - a flour-grain milling business by Julie Stahly received third place and $4,000. Busy Bees Garden and Greenhouse – selling fresh produce, honey, soaps, etc., by Alissa Erickson received fourth place and $2,000.

Four other finalists were awarded $500 each and they included: Twin Pines Brewing Co. (brewery), Tanner Rousselle; Procrastinators, LLC dba Pour Farm (event space), Ronda Graff; Wildflower Childcare Center (childcare center), Bailey Meguire; and McCook News Now, LLC (online news), Anna LaBay.

All finalists made final presentations Thursday before a panel of judges considered and awarded the prizes.

These businesses were eight of the 13 original businesses submitting proposals last year, and 11 semifinalists were selected in December of 2025 to receive scholarships to pay for tuition and fees for the mandatory eight-week online Entrepreneurship Business Plan writing course offered through Mid-Plains Community College.

This competition runs every other year and residents in seven southwest Nebraska Counties are eligible: Furnas, Frontier, Red Willow, Hayes, Hitchcock, Chase and Dundy counties. This year’s finalists represented businesses from Red Willow, Hayes and Hitchcock counties.

This competition, which began in 2016, has operated with the belief that one of the best ways to keep Southwest Nebraska economically sustainable is to help support and develop the people and businesses already in place. Thanks to a generous donation from the Hormel family and many area sponsors, this competition helps turn dreams into reality.

Sponsors of this year’s competition included: McCook College Foundation, Community Hospital, MNB, Pinnacle Bank, McCook Economic Development and Mid-Plains Community College Business & Community Education.

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The Hormel Family Foundation was founded in 1999 by the late Ben F. Hormel, a McCook entrepreneur, to support McCook Community College. When he passed in 2002, he passed on the torch to his children and grandchildren, who operate the foundation today. The foundation is committed to education, entrepreneurship and business development in the McCook and southwestern Nebraska economic region, and it is through this commitment the Hormel Entrepreneurship Competition was established.