JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Today the Jacksonville Jaguars and Web.com revealed the finalists for the 2ndannual Small Business Breakthrough powered by Web.com. The six local companies are preparing to enter the final round this Thursday and face a panel of judges, including Jaguars Owner Shad Khan and Web.com CEO David Brown. Participants will compete for the chance to win the grand prize - a comprehensive team sponsorship with the Jaguars and a complete online makeover from Web.com, a package valued at more than $250,000.
The six finalists include:
Trasca & Co Eatery
Zack Snacks by Snap Foods
Wolf and Shepherd
US Military Maintenance First Coast
Barrett's Small Batch
Lat & Lo Jewelry
Round one of the "Shark Tank"-style competition brought in more than 225 online applications, which were narrowed down to 33 semi-finalists. They were invited to audition in front of a panel of preliminary judges, who narrowed the group down to the final six. They'll give their best pitch to the full panel of judges including Khan, Brown and other business experts.
The final round of the Small Business Breakthrough will be taped and broadcast on WJXT Channel 4 on Saturday, August 27. Fans can tune in at 6:30 p.m. to meet all six finalists and see who wins the grand prize. All finalists will be introduced on the field at the Jaguars preseason game on Saturday, August 20 with the grand prize winner's new stadium brand presence unveiled at EverBank Field during the nationally-televised preseason game on Sunday, August 28.
Small Business Breakthrough Powered by Web.com was launched in an effort to help small businesses discover new ways to boost their marketing and earn next-level exposure. Inaugural winner Modasten has already seen great results after a season in the spotlight, both at the stadium and online. Since winning the 2015 competition last August and taking advantage of the grand prize, Modasten's monthly sales have doubled and it has increased its retail presence from 8 retail locations to 15. Since Web.com rolled out Modasten's brand new e-commerce site in February, the company has seen a 250 percent growth in website traffic. Modasten will continue to be featured at EverBank Field this fall.
