Five local entrepreneurs pitched their business plans to a panel of judges Thursday night at the first ever Carroll Biz Challenge finale event. Sean Schmidt, owner of Holistic Home Energy Services in Westminster, was chosen as the winner and awarded $5,000.

Schmidt founded Holistic Home Energy Services in 2011 to provide home energy audits and home performance contracting. Schmidt is no stranger to the entrepreneurial spirit--his father, Ron Schmidt, started R.M. Schmidt heating and air conditioning services in Westminster 30 years ago.

Sean Schmidt said that his objective is to provide homeowners with data about energy use in their homes and to complete the work necessary to make homes more efficient, more comfortable and safer.

The $5,000 prize money will be used to help get more auditors out in the field, helping Carroll residents make homes safer and more efficient, Schmidt said.

There were 22 entrants in this year's competition and five finalists were invited to pitch their ideas at Thursday night's finale event. The winner was chosen by a live audience and four judges--Josh Kohn of Kohn Creative, Karen Barbour of The Barbour Group, Steve Aquino of Aquino and Wolpoff Financial Group, and Steve Chapin, Jr., of JARS Residential Properties.

To learn more about the event and the other business ideas submitted, visit www.carrollbizchallenge.com.

See Also:

• Seeking Motivated Entrepreneurs for First-Ever 'Carroll Biz Challenge'
• Who Will Win the Carroll Biz Challenge? You Can Have a Say
• Guns, Java Pops and Makeup: A Look at 'Carroll Business Challenge' Entries
• Carroll Business Challenge Finalists Announced