SoDel Concepts to receive small business chamber award for excellence April 12
The Delaware Small Business Chamber will hold its annual meeting and 7th Annual Blue Ribbon Awards Brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursday, April 12, at Deerfield Golf and Tennis Club in Newark. Awards will recognize businesses and individuals in 20 different categories. Most winners will be revealed at the brunch event, but the chamber has announced the winners of two of its most prestigious awards – the Lifetime Achievement Award and the President's Award for Business Excellence.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual who has achieved a high degree of success in business and/or has demonstrated a history of promoting and supporting the Delaware small business community over the course of their career. The DSBC’s inaugural award goes to Jayne Armstrong, former district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Delaware District Office. Armstrong helped launch the SBA office in 1999 as its first director and is a longtime advocate of the Delaware small business community. Many local business owners still talk about how her support has had a long-term effect on their business.
The President’s Award for Business Excellence, given to a worthy organization which has achieved a high degree of success and has brought positive recognition to the Delaware small business community, is being bestowed on SoDel Concepts. The restaurant group owns 10 restaurants, a wedding and events venue, a catering company, a hospitality consulting firm and a hospitality management company. After the tragic loss of SoDel Concepts founder Matt Haley, the company continued to grow and become a well-known brand regionally.
The Delaware Small Business Chamber, founded in late 2011, is a statewide resource for small businesses throughout Delaware and the surrounding communities, and the larger businesses that work with those local small business owners.
At the April 12 event, the chamber will announce the winners of other awards voted on by the public in multiple categories along with six other prestigious awards. This year’s panel of judges included Newark Mayor Polly Sierer, New Castle County Events Coordinator Suzy Casey, and Ed Kessler, retired business owner of the Perfect Wedding guide.
The Delaware Small Business Chamber is dedicated to helping local small businesses with up to 100 employees start, grow and work together to build their companies as well as bringing together larger companies to work with the local small business community. The DSBC offers networking, cost cutting, referral, ribbon cutting and business educational programs to members as some of its many benefits. For more information or to join, go to www.dsbchamber.com or call 302-482-2120.
