A team of Tippie MBA students finished in second place in the finals of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s MBA Case Competition held Nov. 30 in Washington, D.C.

The team, Herky’s Heroes, was comprised of Professional MBA students Drew Kahler, Alex Junk, and Daniel Babb. They competed against 82 teams from other schools across the nation in preliminary competition, with the top three making the finals.

The case the teams examined was a hypothetical about a major agricultural manufacturing business’ decision to build a second domestic headquarters to help facilitate improved recruitment and fuel global expansion efforts. After analyzing the criteria and selecting a new community for the second headquarters, the teams also had to evaluate and develop a plan to partner with their selected community on all levels to make the partnership beneficial for both parties.

In the weeks leading up to the finals, the team made final preparations to defend and pitch their solution to a panel of C-suite executives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce leadership, and academics at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters building.