Midwestern

Canada Shrimp Wins Minto PitchIt

The Town of Minto has a winner for the PitchIt Business Competition.

The sixth annual competition is geared to entrepreneurs who wish to open, purchase, expand or relocate a business in Minto.

Of the nine entries and four finalists, judges chose Shrimp Canada to award over $12,500 in cash and prizes.

Shrimp Canada is a Guelph based start-up that will establish a shrimp hatchery at the Palmerston Industrial Park. The company will initiate sustainable farming, and sell fresh white leg shrimp to local distributors and consumers.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the town, the judges, the mayor and council and all the people of the town for the support and encouragement. I felt so welcomed to the community during my previous meeting with the Mayor, and now winning this competition has made Shrimp Canada so inclusive to the diversity and growth of the town. I am proud to be part of the Pitch it Minto competition. The motivation from the outcome of this competition will surely shape my business for a great future in Minto and I am committed to drive it towards safe and sustainable employment generation in the community," says Dr. Ranjan Pradhan.

The other finalists were Ag. Business & Crop Inc., Harriston Preschool and Alpaca Time and will all receive over $1,500 in prizes.

“This year’s PitchIt! Competition provided a great mix of new, re-located and expanding businesses,” says Belinda Wick-Graham, manager of economic development for the Town of Minto. “Only five points separated fourth place from first place, anyone could have won this."

“This was an amazing group of local entrepreneurs. I found their business plans, presentations and enthusiasm made judging a real pleasure and even after all was said and done I could not have even guessed who would win they were all that good, and as it turned out, this was the closest competition ever,” said John Burgess, past president of the Minto Chamber of Commerce.

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