Published: May 02, 2008 10:36 pm      

Incubicity program awards $40,000 in prizes

Contestants pledge to push ahead with products

MONTICELLO — Though he didn’t win, Kurt Koehler says he won’t give up trying to develop his product.

Koehler was among 11 entrepreneurs from White, Carroll, Howard, Tippecanoe, Miami, Fountain and Warren counties who gathered Friday to compete for a $25,000 prize offered by the Indiana Venture Center’s Incubicity program.

Koehler, who represented Carroll County in the competition, created a company called AlGalCo to market “hydrogen fuel on demand.” He said the concept would make the fuel more readily accessible to consumers in the form of an alloy block that would give off energy when water was added.

Koehler, who had finished first in a preliminary “elevator pitch” competition, was hoping for a similar outcome in the finals. Even though he came up short, he said, he hopes to have a prototype finished by June 10 and a finalized product available by December.

“I can’t stop now,” he said. “We’re almost there.”

The $25,000 first-place prize went to Shane Fimbel of Tippecanoe County for a neonatal monitoring system. The idea is to use a “neocuff” that will monitor blood pressure without using the catheter now used on infants.

A $10,000 second-place prize was awarded to Allyson Faucett of Fountain County for her soy-based bath and body products. Her product has been created, but she hopes to expand the business.

The $5,000 third-place prize went to Patrick Cooley, of Miami County, for his creation of a truck bed cargo tray called “Bed-Max.” This concept allows for two layers of storage space in a pickup truck.

Pat Bacon, program director for the Indiana Venture Center, said she felt the overall event was successful.

“I couldn’t be happier,” she said. “I’m thrilled we have a wide variety.”

She said the contestants offered the judges a challenging decision.

“Everyone in their own way has the passion,” she said. “They have worked hard and can use the money.”

White County resident Robbie Coffing said she was just happy to be part of the event. She created “Plant Pals,” a steel support system for plants.

“It was very exciting,” she said. “If you look at the competition, there are a lot of great ideas. I’m very excited to see all the ideas from our area.”

Coffing said her product would be available online sometime in June.

The experience has been eventful and memorable for Coffing, who won a $500 second-place prize during the regional competition.

“When you start with a brand new idea or product, it’s like a roller coaster,” she said. “When you get over one thing, you have to deal with the next.”

Denise Forsberg can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or via e-mail at denise.forsberg@pharostribune.com