The Nielsen Company, in Association With the Women's Business Development Center and Walgreens, Awards $30,000 in Cash, Research Services and Consulting Services to Regional and Locally-Based Small Businesses
CHICAGO, Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Idea Factory, Inc., a woman-owned designer and marketer of innovative shower and bath products for people and their pets, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is the regional winner of The Nielsen Consumer Product Enhancement Competition.
Patty Mueller, Idea Factory president, will receive $10,000 in cash, $10,000 worth of technical assistance and consumer measurement data from The Nielsen Company, and the opportunity to become a qualified Walgreens supplier. The Idea Factory's products are sold under the RINSE ACE brand at retailers such as K-Mart, Lowes, Meijer, Menards, Petco, PetSmart and the Home Depot. Founded in 1994, the company has nearly 20 employees and annual revenues approaching $3 million.
The Nielsen Consumer Product Enhancement Competition – sponsored by The Nielsen Company, a leading global provider of media and consumer information and analytics, in association with the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC) and Walgreens – was open to consumer product goods businesses in the WBDC's nine-state Midwest region. The competition was targeted to women and minority business enterprises with at least $500,000 in annual revenue.
Two Chicago area businesses were finalists: Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels, in Chicago, and Tula Foods, in Evanston, Ill. Each finalist will receive $5,000 in Nielsen consulting services.
The winner and runners-up were selected based on their clear understanding of the target markets for their products, the potential for business growth, and their ability to use the consulting services from Nielsen and Walgreens to grow their respective businesses.
"This is the first annual consumer product goods competition with the Women's Business Development Center and The Nielsen Company," said Hedy Ratner, WBDC co-president. "We look forward to building the capacity of women and minority-owned consumer product companies in our nine-state region with our valued corporate partners."
"The concept of this competition and subsequent business series is one that we are very excited about," stated Cheryl Pearson McNeil, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Government Relations, The Nielsen Company. "As part of our public affairs efforts and in partnership with our consumer division, our goal is to help minority and women owned businesses grow by providing valuable market research data that otherwise would have been out of reach."
CONTACT: |
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Chris Ruys, 312-337-7746, [email protected] |
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SOURCE Women's Business Development Center
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