Chester and Delaware County SCORE – a nonprofit comprised of volunteers who provide free professional business counseling to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits in Chester and Delaware counties – will host its seventh annual Small Business Achievement Awards Luncheon on Thursday at the Concord Country Club.

Elite Puréed Meals, a Newtown Square-based company owned by Colleen McCloskey, is one of five winners of SCORE’s Small Business Achievement Award.

McCloskey was once a caregiver to older adults. One of her patients, an elderly man, refused to eat, even though the food was puréed. However, the puréed food was not visually appealing.

So, she decided to re-shape the puréed food into its original form, and the result was dramatic. The elderly man began to eat his meals and started to regain the weight that he had lost. This was a breakthrough, because his doctors were about to install a feeding tube.

In 2015, McCloskey had the idea of creating a business to market puréed meals. She came to SCORE to get mentoring on how to start a new business. With SCORE counselor John Lippman’s help, McCloskey started Elite Puréed Meals.

SCORE helped her to write a business plan and to present her business idea at the West Chester University’s Business Ideas Pitch Competition, which she won. McCloskey went on to also win the Keiretsu Forum competition, which gave her valuable in-kind legal and IT services.

The first trial shipments of puréed meals have been donations to children. McCloskey continues to meet with SCORE to establish commercial sales and plan her business for growth.

In addition to Elite Puréed Meals, the four other winners of SCORE’s Small Business Achievement Award are:

• VISTA Today – Exton
• SubstiToothFairy – Brookhaven
• The Bacon Jams – West Chester
• Brandywine Consignment Shop – Downingtown

The award winners have all benefited from SCORE’s counseling and mentoring services and, as a result, have enjoyed substantial growth and continued success.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and these recipients exemplify the success that can be achieved through creativity, planning, and determination,” said John Lippman, Co-Chairman of Chester and Delaware County SCORE. “On behalf of all of our volunteers, we at SCORE are proud to be a part of their success.”

Click here to learn more about SCORE.