Delaware BBB announces 2021 award winners

The Better Business Bureau serving Delaware has announced the 2021 winners for their Torch and Thrive Award programs. These awards recognize organizations that demonstrate a solid commitment to doing things right, not only in their companies, but within their entire industry and community.

2021 marks the first year for the “Thrive Award for Community Impact.” This award celebrates leaders that embrace diversity in their business. The BBB Thrive Award is given to an organization that demonstrates a commitment to inclusion in our community. The winner of the first-ever Thrive Award for Community Impact is Easterseals of Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

The BBB Torch Awards for Ethics competition recognizes exemplary businesses that strive to go above and beyond in their dealings with customers, employees, vendors and their community. BBB Delaware presents the Torch Awards for Ethics each year to businesses that exemplify ethical behavior and display integrity in all aspects of its operations. Three Delaware companies were selected as 2021 recipients of the Torch Awards for Ethics. Those businesses are:

• Valor Construction

• Silver Lining Home Healthcare

• Boulden Brothers

Winners will be recognized on Oct. 7 at the DuPont Country Club. A highlight of the event will be the announcement of the Edward M. Rush Sr. Memorial Award for an outstanding family-owned business that displays integrity and exemplifies the ideals of community and civic service. The recipient of that award is not aware of the honor until it is announced publicly.

Finally, the BBB Education Foundation will honor its 2020-2021 Student Ethics Scholarship winners. While the recipients have already begun their freshman year at college, BBB will still recognize their outstanding achievement.

The essay topic this year was: “Provide examples of diversity initiatives and policies a business can take to apply the BBB standard of Trust to their company values and mission.”
This year’s honorees are:

• Emma Trunnell, (Padua Academy Class of 2021 / University of South Carolina)

• Dermot Williamson, (Polytech High School Class of 2021 / York College)

The awards ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 7 at the DuPont Country Club. This event is open to the public.