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A team made up of �鶹�� graduate students finished third in the nation at the Small Business Institute annual conference.

The win marks the 18th time a Rider team has finished in the top three or better since the University began competing in 1998. During that time, Rider teams (on either the undergraduate or graduate level) have had 35 placements within the top 10 nationally.

“This competition awards the best student consulting projects from schools around the country,” says Associate Dean of Graduate Programs Dr. Ronald Cook. “Rider has had considerable success in this competition in the past and I’m delighted that we are continuing our tradition of excellence.”

The graduate team consisted of Kate Pollack, a current student in Rider’s master’s in business administration program, Troi Ward '19 and Taryn Walton, both of whom are graduates of the same program, and Heather Yacone '19, who was a senior but competed on the graduate team.

They produced the consulting report as part of a graduate-level consulting class where students act as consultants to small firms/organizations. The project was to develop a marketing strategy that focuses on increasing brand awareness and growing their customer base while suggesting improvements in its technology usage. The client was Lawrenceville Fuel, a home heating oil distributor that also offers heating, air conditioning, and plumbing services/installations throughout Mercer County, N.J.

“These students were excellent students and a wonderful example of the best that Rider offers,” Cook says.

Since its inception, Rider’s Small Business Institute has had more than 300 students providing more than 30,000 consulting hours to area firms and organizations. Their services include guidance and advice to better their operations.

This year’s Small Business Institute national conference was held this year in New Orleans from Feb. 27-29.