Founded over 20 years ago, the New Product and Process Fair has been challenging the creativity of young and old alike and this years Fair in Stillwater was no exception. Fair founder and former Congressman Wes Watkins says the annual event is designed to inspire people to envision new products and processes which are the seeds of economic prosperity.
This years Grand Prize Winners were
- first place – Cookie Centracco, Oklahoma City ($1,500);
- second place – Jose Ucero, Del City ($1,000)
- third place – Susan and Karen Weckler, Glencoe ($500).
Centraccos Neat Nick Saucer is a must have for dining out with infants and toddlers. It fits any standard highchair, providing a clean dining area for the child. Uceros entry was the Window Power Strip and SewingKits4Kids was entered by the Weckler sisters.
- Winners in the Elementary Student Division were Susan and Karen Weckler, Glencoe; Benjamin Lanners, Stillwater and Riley Metzger, Stillwater.
- Secondary Student Division winners were Amanda Stoner, Stillwater; Cole Baker, Haskell and Vaishnavi Vaidyanathan, Stillwater.
- Open Division winners were Jose Ucero, Del City; Ben Gadd, Oklahoma City and Scott Chan, Oklahoma City.
- Winners in the Small Business Division were Cookie Centracco, Oklahoma City; Scott Chan, Oklahoma City and Jeffrey West, Tulsa.
Other entries included the Back-N-Buddy, a device to help you back up your vehicle properly; the Snoozmark Automatic Bookmark; The Quint Board, a five-wheeled skate board or the IV Jacket to help you keep your IV from getting wet in the shower and Dinner Rush, a board game testing your restaurant serving skills. Cash prizes for first, second and third place were given in each of the winning categories.
The Weckler sisters, Susan, 10, and Karen, 8, showcased their business, SewingKits4Kids winning the Elementary Student Division ($250) and took third overall ($500) in the competition. The home-schooled sisters are learning about inventory, cost of materials and pricing as they market their business and with their winnings, they have also launched a web site, www.sewingkits4kids.com. The business is a great complement to their home school curriculum.
Susan and Karen are a great example of what can happen when creativity is challenged and encouraged, said Wes Watkins. Their parents, Dr. Paul and Stephanie Weckler, are to be commended for instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in their daughters and for helping them launch their new business. This years Fair had a diversity of quality entries and every Fair contestant is to be congratulated. We are proud of every one of them.
Watkins said the New Product and Process Fair board of directors is currently making plans for the 2009 event and information will be posted at www.newproductsfair.com in the near future.