The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce presented five awards honoring a variety of small business achievements for 2026 in Delaware County.

The awards were presented at a Chamber breakfast on March 27 at the Drexelbrook Catering and Event Center in Drexel Hill.

“The businesses we are recognizing today are not just special,” said Chamber President Trish McFarland. “They are creating jobs, taking risks, giving back, and helping shape our community.”

Attending the breakfast were Chamber members, sponsors, and supporters.

Several officials were also present.  They included State Sen. John Kane, State Sen. Tim Kearney, State Rep. Craig Williams, Delaware County Council Chairman Richard Womack, and Media Borough Mayor Joi Washington.

The award-winners were honored with a Pennsylvania proclamation recognizing their achievements.                  

Small Business of the Year Award

The  Small Business of the Year Award went to Artisan Painting in Media.

Artisan Painting is a residential painting company serving the community since 2014. It was founded by partners Mike Lieber and Jon Dyer, who grew up in Delaware County.

The two had met while working in the restaurant industry, and they brought the principles of that industry to their painting business, providing service, communication, and hospitality.

The company supports local schools, nonprofits, youth programs, other small businesses, and business organizations like the Chamber and the Wayne Business Association.

“From the very beginning, our mission was simple. We wanted to be a name that people could trust,” Jon said.

Mike and Jon thanked their friends and others who have supported them “every step of the way.”

“To be recognized by this community, it’s tremendous for us,” Jon said.

“We’re proud to be part of this community. And to be the name people can count on,” Mike said.

Small Businessperson of the Year

The Small Businessperson of the Year Award went to Danielle McNichol, owner and operator of Fastest Legacy, LLC, with its franchise of Fastest Labs in Springfield, West Chester, Center City Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Wilmington, Delaware.

She is a managing member of McNichol Law Offices, PLLC, with 30 years of legal experience.

Fastest Labs provides drug and alcohol testing for 16 state agencies. Her team conducted nearly 10,500 tests last year. It supports a network of more than 400 collection sites across the state’s 67 counties.

McNichol has served as Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

She was General Counsel for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the Delaware River Port Authority/PATCO, Neumann University, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

McNichol was an Associate Vice President for the Temple University Health System. She also served as General Counsel for the World Meeting of Families during the 2015 Papal visit.

She has also been honored with the Chamber’s Athena Women in Leadership Award.

McNichol congratulated the other small businesses in the room, “because each and every one of you is a winner today, not just the companies that have been awarded, and I honor and congratulate all of you.”

She talked about the difficulties of balancing a small-business dream with the risks involved and obligations to family.

She also talked about the support that made her small-business dream possible—from her family, her business team, and the business community.

Places like the Chamber offered resources, opened doors, and provided financing and advice, she said.

 “It was every single person, every heart of this community, that helped.”

She asked everyone to remember that we’re all part of this community, and “anything we can do to help each other, please do stuff, because it’ll turn back and give you things tenfold.”

 “I  see a very supportive family, small businesses, and a community that is thriving, and it’s all due to all of you guys.”

Women-Owned Business of the Year

The Women-Owned Business of the Year Award went to Flashlight Marketing, accepted by Carly Spross and her team. Spross founded the company in 2021.  

Flashlight provides integrated marketing, branding, digital strategy, communications, and design services for local businesses like Juice Pod to help them expand.

Flashlight started six years ago at the start of the pandemic, she said, a time of uncertainty and disruption, when many businesses were closing.

“What started as an idea has grown from three people to 10, from a handful of clients to more than 30. And today I’m proud to say we are an award-winning, woman-owned and operated business,” she said.

She acknowledged the support of her former business partner, boss, mentor, and current client Pat Burns, owner and operator of several supermarkets, restaurants, and hotels.

Spross pitched the idea of creating Flashlight as a stand-alone agency while she worked as Burns’ CMO.

“He gave me the space to do it, and I ran with it. Without that support, this business could not exist,” she said. “Sometimes all it takes is giving an entrepreneur a little room, and seeing what they can do.”

She also thanked her clients, past and present, many of whom were at the breakfast, who allowed Flashlight to be part of their growth.

“Delaware County is home. It’s where this all started, and it will always be a priority for us,” she said.

Family Business of the Year

The Family Business of the Year Award went to Moppert Brothers Inc. Collision Services Group.

Harry Moppert is the founder and president of the second-generation family-owned business. The company is celebrating 50 years and has grown to include multiple locations with annual revenue in the top 5 percent of U.S. Collision Repair facilities.

Harry and his sons, Harry Jr. and Doug, have built a company that trains local apprentices, employees, and field technicians and ensures every vehicle is repaired to high safety standards.

Beyond their work in the shop, Moppert Brothers has donated reconditioned vehicles, meals, bicycles, and countless resources to support families, veterans, and local charities.

Harry Moppert described the award as a meaningful milestone for the family business.

“It isn’t just the number of years,”  he said. “It’s the people and the community behind us.”

He thanked everyone for allowing them to be part of their lives for 50 years.

Community Impact Award

The 2026 Community Impact Award, recognizing businesses that make a difference in people’s lives, went to Everybody Eats.

The nonprofit Chester café was founded by  Stephanie Willis, a chef, entrepreneur, and community leader.

Willis’ restaurant is based on the idea that food is a basic human right.

Everybody Eats serves high-quality, culturally-rooted food as it addresses food insecurity in Delaware County.

The brick-and-mortar café serves as an event and gathering space and has a nonprofit arm dedicated to weekly produce distributions, holiday meal initiatives, and partnerships with local organizations.

Everybody Eats has provided hundreds of thousands of meals to individuals and families, created jobs and training opportunities, and collaborated with schools, municipalities, filmmakers, and grassroots organizations.

Priority groups include seniors, families, youth, and working people who have fallen through the cracks of traditional support systems.

Willis champions food justice, community investment, and representation within the hospitality and business sectors.

“Everybody Eats is not just about food. It’s about love. It’s about making sure that people feel seen, cared for, and valued.”

“I’m proof that you don’t need to have everything, you don’t need to be perfect to make an impact. You just have to keep showing up …”