WEYBURN – Sweets & Treats Co. was a highly successful business venture created by the Entrepreneurship 30 class at Weyburn Comprehensive School. The Junior Achievement business launched in November of 2023 and continued until January, with the final board meeting held on Thursday.
It was a retail food company that sold fudge and fudge pops in maple and chocolate flavours, chocolate-covered pretzels in two flavours of milk and white chocolate, Christmas crunch and treat trays. In January they expanded the products to include five limited edition fudge flavours.
Not long after the launch of Sweets & Treats, over 400 orders were placed and were all filled before Christmas. They held production on Tuesday every week after school hours, but due to the mass number of orders they had production at least three times a week.
Co-president Jenna Knupp said there was a crunch to get the production done, as she put in 145 hours outside of school to help out. She was also the top seller for the company, selling $3,794 worth of product.
“I feel the company was very successful,” she said.
The students set up tables at Ag appreciation night, Pharmasave customer appreciation night, Knox Hall trade show, and set up a table multiple times in the commons during the noon hour.
The company also bought a gift for a six-year-old boy for the giving tree along with a few food items as well. They also donated some of the leftover supplies to Sunrise Daycare, and the FIP program at the school.
The student company had sales totaling $18,135, including $2,494 from sales in January when the company added specialty flavours of fudge.
“We had 300 squares (in January) and sold all of them without any problems in about two weeks,” said Knupp.
The company also chose to donate 10 per cent of their overall profits to the Andon Hoff Memorial Fund, and they donated $1,389.50 towards this cause, presenting the cheque to Andon’s grandparents, Andy and Yolanda Klein, at the final board meeting.
“We really wanted to give back to the community,” said Knupp of the donation.
During the year, the JA company won a certificate for Best Business Plan from YouthBiz, the business competition for southeast area students held by Community Futures Sunrise.
The company was comprised of students Jeremy Symes, Asher Knox, Franz Unger, Owen Istace, Carter Gervais, Ryder Fellner, Jack Kradovill, Calder Brown, Vann Dennis, Mitchell Fister, Kail Kater, Nicole Malana, Allison Demchynski, Kaedee Schultz, Taya Schmidt, Sophia Jordens, Silas Stein, Shayna Gosling, Brasen Sim, Wylie Kopec, Keaton Husband, Isaiah Sanderson, Ryanna Sidloski and co-presidents Jenna Knupp and Hudson Bourassa.
Assisting and leading the students were Margot Arnold, WCS Business Education teacher, and business mentors, Monica Osborn, manager of the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce; Andria Brady, Executive Director Community Futures Sunrise, and Jeff Chessall of Rona.
