MBA Students Win National Case Consulting Competition for Pharmatek Project

Contact: Randy Carmical, Director of Communications
(619) 594-0206 Randy.Carmical@sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, January 09, 2006 –  A marketing consulting project conducted by students in San Diego State University’s (SDSU) MBA program has placed first in the “graduate – specialized” category of the Small Business Institute’s (SBI) Annual Field Case of the Year Competition. The award will be presented in Tucson this month at the SBI’s annual meeting, co-hosted by the U.S. Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

The marketing study, supervised by marketing professors Don Sciglimpaglia and Sara Appleton-Knapp, was implemented for Pharmatek Laboratories, Inc., a San Diego-based biotech firm. The project involved a study to increase sales of Pharmatek’s Hot Rod Chemistry Formulation Screening Kit. The students conducted customer and potential customer research, analyzed the market, examined growth potential, and assessed trends and competition.

"We were extremely satisfied with the quality of the students that we worked with, their preparation and their dedication to the project," said Tim Scott, president of Pharmatek Laboratories.  "The results of their research and conclusions that they drew from it have led us to new strategies for marketing our Hot Rod Chemistry kit."

The Annual Field Case of the Year Competition, sponsored by the Small Business Institute Directors Association, is to recognize outstanding student work on field cases. These field case projects provide students opportunities to help make lasting improvements in their client's business operations.

Two students were offered jobs based on their successful work on the project. Elizabeth Hickman was hired by the project client, Pharmatek, and is its current marketing manager. Graduate Keith Moynehan credits the project with gaining him a job in the surgical instruments field.   “It helped me land my current role as Product Manager at Karl Storz Endoscopy,” Moynehan said. “I think this capstone course in the MBA program is one of its greatest selling points and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.”

This is the third time in the past five years that an SDSU MBA final consulting project supervised by Sciglimpaglia has placed first in the competition. In 2001, a project conducted for San Diego Magazine received the award, followed by another first place win for a project conducted for the San Diego Downtown YMCA in 2002.

About the Small Business Institute
The Small Business Institute® (SBI®) is the premier professional association of small business/entrepreneurship educators and researchers involved in student analysis projects. Its mission is to strengthen the small business/entrepreneurship sector of the free enterprise system. SBI enhances and improves entrepreneurship education through an extensive network of Small Business Institutes® at colleges and universities.

About Pharmatek, Inc.
Pharmatek Laboratories, Inc. is a premier pharmaceutical chemistry development organization supporting the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Pharmatek focuses on bringing client compounds from discovery to the clinic with services that include compound selection, analytical development, preformulation testing, formulation development, GMP manufacturing and stability storage and testing.

About SDSU College of Business Administration
With over 5,500 students, the SDSU College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the U.S. Its programs in international business and graduate entrepreneurship are ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. This year, the college is celebrating “50 Years of Educating San Diego’s Business Leaders.”

About SDSU
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degree in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s more than 33,000 students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.