U of S Commerce Students Win International Competition

Posted March 06, 2002


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 6, 2002 2002-03-01-CO

U of S Commerce Students Win International Competition

University of Saskatchewan students Dan Murza and Cory Weiss came home this
weekend with first place and US$7,500 in cash for winning the International
Undergraduate Student Business Plan Competition held in Lincoln, Nebraska.
They beat student teams from U.S. Business Schools such as the University of
Michigan, the University of Arizona, and Colorado State University.

They won with their idea for a business called "Sandow SK Classic", a
manufacturer and online store that features replicated and authentic
collectible 1970s hockey jerseys and accompanying display cases. The Sandow
business plan was produced as part of their 4th year College of Commerce
class in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management.

Dan and Cory started market testing the idea in 2001, and favourable results
spurred them to start a new company that has re-trademarked the name of the
now-defunct jersey manufacturer from the 1970s that produced jerseys for the
likes of Wayne Gretzky and other famous players.

Murza says owning the name is the same as owning a piece of the history, and
he and Weiss appear to have found a market niche for supplying hockey jersey
collectors.

Sandow currently uses eBay as its selling forum, but will eventually develop
its own website and will further expand to supplying sporting goods stores
after the brand name has been re-established.

Monica Kreuger, the sessional instructor for the team's Entrepreneurship
class, says "The success of Dan and Cory shows that we have the talent to
compete with the rest of world and win. This team has proven that solid
opportunities exist for profit-based business owned by young people in this
province. They have beaten teams from many other universities in the U.S.
and Canada that have large entrepreneurial programs, extensive support from
entrepreneurial centres, substantial funding from public and private
sources, and easier access to capital. We should be proud that our U of S
students have done so well against such competition."

Dan and Cory's business plan is also entered into a Canadian Undergraduate
Business Plan Competition to be held soon at Queen's University in Kingston
Ontario, and also in a forthcoming International Business Plan Competition
to be hosted by the National University of Singapore.

For more information, please contact:

Monica Kreuger, U of S Sessional Instructor
and President of Global Infobrokers Inc.
global.info@sk.sympatico.ca
Phone: (306) 955-9006 or 664-0500

Dan Murza
Sandow SK Classic
info@sandowsk.com
Home phone (306) 374-6323

Cory Weiss
allegory19@hotmail.com

Colin Boyd, Professor of Management and Head
Department of Management and Marketing
College of Commerce, University of Saskatchewan
boyd@commerce.usask.ca
Phone: (306) 966 8436

Dixie Doughty
Assistant Director
NE Center for Entrepreneurship
Director, University of Nebraska at Lincoln Business Seminars Program
ddoughty@unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-3353
Fax: (402) 472-5855
http://www.cba.unl.edu/outreach/ent