Matthew Mandziuk and Tamara Kerluke were easy to miss.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying. Mandziuk, decked out in his Raiders football jersey, stood near his booth, scanning the room. If he made eye contact with someone, he’d strike up a conversation, explaining his collection of bottles. He exuded personability.
“[My favourite part of the business is] interacting with people,” he said. “I love...talking with people.”
Kerluke was quieter, but you could see the excitement in her eyes when she talked about her rows of yarn-covered sticks.
They occupied a small space in the Flexi Hall at the Gallagher Centre. They were surrounded by businesses and groups who had travelled across the province for the Harvest Showdown. Everyone was here for the big trade show.
Attendees saw a dazzling array of products and services. Companies offered shoe polish, agricultural innovations, and a bevy of exciting opportunities.
Mandziuk and Kerluke were sandwiched between these business giants, sharing one table at the trade show. It was a humble beginning, but every company has to start somewhere.
“This was a chance to dip our foot in the water and get a feel on how trade shows go and what works well,” Mandziuk said.
Kerluke and Mandziuk are presidents of their respective companies. They brought their brands and their products to the trade show to establish themselves for the public.
“It’s a start and it’s just to get us out there, really,” Kerluke said.
Kerluke is the president of Hang Loose, while Mandziuk is the president of Once a Bottle Time. Both companies are truly products of the social media age, as their creators were inspired by posts on Pinterest.
Hang Loose takes branches from rural Saskatchewan and drapes them with yarn. Hooks are also attached to them so they can function as jewellery holders or as wall-art decor.
Mandziuk was perusing Pinterest when he saw a wine bottle with lights inside. That’s how he found the idea for Once a Bottle Time. The company recycles wine bottles and inserts LED lights into them. They make for striking piece of home decor.
Kerluke and Mandziuk worked with their business partners around the clock to get their booths ready for the trade show. They haven’t had a lot of time to prepare; after all, their companies are only a few weeks old.
Kerluke and Mandziuk are students in the Entrepreneurship 30 class at Yorkton Regional High School. Kristine Kreklewich is the teacher for the class.
“Students had to pitch a product to the class in a Dragons Den format,” she said.
The class heard pitches from every student and voted on their two favourite ones. Juanita Polegi was a guest “Dragon” at the pitch meeting. She asked questions and provided feedback.
“It amazes me how these students get these ideas,” she said. “[It’s] really remarkable.”
Hang Loose and Once a Bottle Time were chosen by the class, who then spent long hours before and after school getting the businesses ready for the tradeshow.
“Getting our logo and our sign finished, and making a lot of product, was definitely hard,” Kerluke said.
Both companies plan to attend more trade shows before winter break.
“They have until Christmas to sell as much as possible,” Kreklewich said. “Then we liquidate the business.”
At the Harvest Showdown trade show, Kerluke adjusted her racks of yarn while Mandziuk spoke with an interested passerby. More than anything, this project has been a learning experience.
“I’d like to continue my education in business,” Mandziuk said. “This is a great start off.”
