Big Prize $$$ at Stake for Water Company

A possible big cash prize is at stake for Moses Weaver.  If he wins, it will energize his business and set him on track to fulfill his ambitions to become a contender in the bottled water industry.

In November 2017, he attended a workshop co-hosted by the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) and the Macon County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA). The workshop was presented to explain a business competition with a potential $100,000 prize.

Moses attended that workshop, presented by individuals who were affiliated withthe Auburn Regional Alabama Launchpad Competition.  Moses felt like his bottled water business could win and he assembled a team to help him with the application process.

In February 2018, 11 companies including Energy H20 stood before a panel of judges in a setting similar to the popular “Shark Tank” television program. Five of those companies were eliminated. Energy H20 was among the six businesses that progressed to the next level.

The Finale Event is scheduled for this week. This is when Moses and the other contestants will find out who will win all or some of the $100,000 award. The head of industrial development for the City of Auburn, Arndt Siepmann says this project has many benefits and he hopes to see entrepreneurs from Tuskegee and Macon County at the finale. “I think, that individuals that are in the start up phase of a new company might find the event specifically interesting. Being there will hopefully inspire some of them to enter the next competition (and use many of the resources to improve their business plans, strategies, and product/service development. People interested in investing would also be a good fit for the event.”

If Moses wins, he has definite plans for the money. He says, “We will modify our operation, upgrading from manual to semi-automatic. This will increase our production volume from 500 bottles per hour to 5,000 bottles per hour.” He adds that the new equipment also will create two jobs, “a warehouse manager and a logistics manager to handle shipping and receiving.”

The Finale Event for the Auburn Regional Alabama Launchpad Competition is open to the public. The $10 admission includes networking, live music, food and beverages. It will be held at the Alfa Pavilion, Ag Heritage Park, 620-A South Donahue Drive in Auburn.

Registration closes on TuesdayApril 3, 2018. The event is from 4:00pm until 8:00pm on Wednesday, April 4th. You can register online at https://bit.ly/2Gpr5H7.