What: How can a young and vibrant town go about creating strategic plans that best meet the needs of its residents? The Town of Cross Roads, Texas — in northeast Denton County — has turned to University of North Texas students for answers. UNT students will present their business plans to town leaders and business executives while competing for cash prizes in the Northwestern Mutual Integrated Business Case Competition, held twice per year at UNT.

Graduating seniors in the College of Business participate in the Case Competition as part of their capstone course.  These students get hands-on experience solving complex problems for a real-world client. Students work in groups to arrive at solutions. The top six groups are invited to present their solutions to a panel of judges made up of executives of the client (this semester’s client is the town of Cross Roads) as well as other experts in the field.

Past clients have included the Target Corporation, the ReStore operations of the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, Service King Collision Repair, Denton Community Hospital, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Rent-A-Center, Sonic and more.

Northwestern Mutual and UNT alumnus Tait Cruse, managing partner of Northwestern Mutual—Dallas, have pledged $100,000 over four years to organize the event and to fund students’ awards.

When: Presentations from 8:30 a.m. to noon and awards from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.  April 27 (Saturday)

Where: UNT’s Business Leadership Building, dean’s conference room

Media: The presentations are not open to the public, but members of the media are welcome to attend.