Caleb Keling (center) won the franchise competition in 2024.
May 29, 2025–A recent Missouri Western State University graduate will earn the opportunity to own and operate a franchise business. The Center for Franchise Development in the Craig School of Business will announce the winner of the 2025 franchise competition at 1 p.m. Friday, May 30 in the Walter Cronkite Memorial inside the Spratt Hall Atrium. The public is invited to the announcement.
Each year, the Center for Franchise Development offers business ownership opportunities to Craig School of Business alumni through a competitive process. Graduating seniors or alumni take an Applied Business Ownership class and prepare a business plan for a franchise opportunity. Students who wish to compete for the opportunity present their business plan to a panel of judges including Steven L. Craig, creator of the franchise competition, other business leaders and past winners.
The Center for Franchise Development provides initial capital for the stores, which the alumni pay back over five years. The entrepreneurs also receive ongoing support from faculty members, the Craig School of Business Advisory Council, Craig and each other. Additionally, the owners are expected to donate a portion of their store’s proceeds back to the University.
The store awarded this year will be the 36th store awarded since the program’s founding in 2009. Many of the alumni have expanded on their initial business: they currently own a total of more than 50 stores in 11 states, with annual sales of more than $34 million and annual payroll of more than $10 million.
Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit missouriwestern.edu.