St. Thomas junior Jeremy Little won the undergraduate competition in the sixth annual Fowler Business Concept Challenge Nov. 21 for his Unique Pontoons concept, but the win meant more than just $10,000 of scholarship money.

“My father (Mark Little) and I worked on this together,” Little said. “He just passed away a couple of months ago. It’s been tough, but he made me promise that I would do everything I can and that I wouldn’t give up on this dream. I’d pursue this idea and make sure that our pontoon goes into production.”

With the promise to his father driving him, Little put together a successful concept. From a business standpoint, the judges decided Unique Pontoons offered more than competing ideas.

“I have an expandable pontoon that trailers at 7 feet 10 inches. After you back the pontoon into the water, with the push of a button, the deck folds out on the water to 11 feet wide,” Little said.

Brian Abraham, associate dean of entrepreneurship, is Little’s mentor and was a judge for the initial round of the challenge. Abraham said Unique Pontoons stood out because it was straightforward.

“The pontoon system can be launched and recovered without any problem at all,” Abraham said. “A lot of challenges you have with large boats’ launch and recovery is the hassle. You have to take it off the trailer, get it on the trailer. That’s not an issue with his.”

In the competition there were three divisions: undergraduate, graduate and social venture. Of the 36 teams that competed, the top four in each of the divisions were awarded St. Thomas scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 per team.

Abraham said he had no doubt Little would do well because he has the passion to see his project through.

“He worked on this project with his father,” Abraham said. “If I had to guess, I would say he’s doing this as a legacy for him to carry forward. Fortunately for him, it actually looks to me from a business standpoint to be very viable.”

Regardless of which route Little took to get to the contest, the next step for Unique Pontoons is clear.

“The biggest thing I gained was all the doors that have opened up for me and all the people I was able to meet that can help push my pontoon concept to the next level,” Little said. “My end-goal is to have a manufacturing plant and to be producing pontoons on a large scale.”

Abraham said Little is the “real deal,” and he’s looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

“He’s passionate,” Abraham said. “You should’ve seen the smile on his face.”

Little looks at his victory as a huge accomplishment that couldn’t have taken place without his father.

“This was a team project that my dad and I conquered together,” Little said. “My father was an inspiration to me and my best friend and business partner. I know he would be proud of me for entering and winning the Fowler.”

Andrew Frentz can be reached at fren2218@stthomas.edu.