Student Entrepreneurs of Pierce High School
By Brody Knox
Pierce High School has a few student entrepreneurs.
Trever Montgomery, a senior at Pierce, is one of them. Montgomery is the proud founder of TMBaits, a business which he started in September of 2020 in his garage. In his business, Montgomery produces all sorts of fishing lures by hand, whether its soft plats to jigs. Montgomery’s lures are shipped out all over the country to catch hundreds of different species of fish.
“I am the founder of my business, and I am extremely proud to be the founder; I can’t believe how far this business has gone and how far in life it has taken me,” states Montgomery. “TMBaits has certainly given me many life skills.”
Some of Montgomery’s goals were to establish himself in a tackle shop, produce the best blend of plastisol (main ingredient in making soft plastics), and to expand his business through social media. Currently, Montgomery has accomplished all of his goals except establishing himself in a tackle shop. “However, my main goal that I have accomplished by far is selling my product to all 50 states,” says Montgomery.
Another student entrepreneur is senior Sara Thomsen whose business is Sara’s Candles, which she started last year around August. She is the founder and proud to be because she grew up around her parents owning and running their own business, DJ’s Crafts. Thomsen makes 100 percent paraffin wax candles and sells them at her parents' booth at craft shows.
Thomsen’s goals are to attain knowledge on how to manage and run her own business as well as to learn budgeting and how to find the best equipment and ingredients.
“The budgeting is going fairly well, managing it has been fairly simple, mostly because I have joined my parents business set up when we go to craft shows,” states Thomsen.
She does not know exactly why she started her business other than wanting to have a project that she could do to make money for school trips and activities.
Thomsen will be at Nebraska Created, in Norfolk at the mall. The store will close before Christmas Eve, so people can stop by and buy some candles.
