The Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches held its 2026 Business Awards on May 29 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, drawing more than 500 business, civic, and community leaders. The morning program named six category winners and awarded the Lifetime Achievement honor to SBA Communications Chairman Jeffrey A. Stoops. The ceremony was streamed across the Palm Beach Post’s digital platforms to an audience of more than half a million followers.
Six categories were contested this year, ranging from hospitality and tourism to healthcare, manufacturing, and small business. Finalists had been announced in the weeks leading up to the breakfast program, with winners revealed from the Kravis Center stage. Each category’s three finalists and the lifetime recipient are part of a roster that spans very different corners of the county.
How the Six Category Winners Map Palm Beach County’s Economy
The Chamber’s 2026 roster pulls winners from companies and nonprofits that look very different from one another, in industries as varied as private security, election-equipment manufacturing, and luxury hospitality. The table below shows the six category winners as announced at the May 29 program. Each row includes the category, the winning organization, and a founding detail that’s relevant to that company’s story.
The Business of the Year finalists had been Naztec International Group, Verdex Construction, and Wellington Florist. The small-business shortlist included Alyson Seligman of The SBS Agency, Laura Klintberg of Johan’s Joe, and Scott Lewis of Scott Lewis’ Gardening & Trimming, Inc. The Health & Human Services finalists were FoundCare, Quantum House, and Mittleman Eye. The Breakers, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium were named for Hospitality and Tourism.
| Category | Winner | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Business of the Year | Naztec International Group, LLC | Founded 2003 in West Palm Beach; 20 U.S. patents |
| Young Professional of the Year | Taylor Matchton, Tact Tech Security Solutions | Founded 2018; statewide private-security firm |
| Small Businessperson of the Year | Scott Lewis, Scott Lewis’ Gardening & Trimming | Founded 1976 in West Palm Beach as a tree-trimming operation |
| Hospitality & Tourism Organization of the Year | The Breakers Palm Beach | Founded 1896 by Henry Flagler; family-owned |
| Health & Human Services Organization of the Year | Quantum House | 25 years operating; 30 private family suites |
| Non-Profit of the Year | Forum Club of the Palm Beaches | 50 years; Florida’s largest nonpartisan political forum |
Why Naztec Took Business of the Year
Naztec International Group, LLC, a 100% Made in America manufacturing company headquartered in West Palm Beach, took the Business of the Year prize. The award capped a category that mixed heavy construction, retail floristry, and election-equipment manufacturing.
The Chamber’s profile describes Naztec as a “Palm Beach County Built” manufacturer founded in 2003 with five integrated divisions: election solutions, aerospace and defense manufacturing, AI/AR/VR and robotics, IT technology solutions, and industrial staffing. The company holds 20 granted U.S. patents with more than 80 innovations in progress. The Chamber cited Naztec as delivering “American-made solutions with speed, precision, and reliability.”
Naztec’s win was the headline selection of a Business of the Year field that included Verdex Construction and Wellington Florist. The diverse shortlist reflects how the county’s economy has grown well beyond real estate and tourism. The full winners announcement for the day was published by North Palm Beach Life. Chamber President & CEO Michael Zeff said the awards are used to spotlight the businesses driving the county forward.
The Breakers Marks 130 Years With a Steady $30 Million Annual Refresh
The Breakers Palm Beach, the Italian Renaissance-style resort on Palm Beach Island, took the Hospitality and Tourism Organization of the Year award. The honor was part of a finalist slate that also included Loggerhead Marinelife Center and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
The Breakers was founded in 1896 by Henry M. Flagler and remains under original family ownership, independent of any chain affiliation. The resort occupies 140 acres of oceanfront on the island. A capital investment that averages $30 million annually has kept the property under continuous refresh for more than 130 years, per the Chamber’s award profile. The Breakers’ cultural philosophy centers on a “Culture of Care and Well-being” for its workforce.
The Breakers’ selection capped a Hospitality category that reached beyond traditional lodging. Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a sea-turtle conservation organization, and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium hosts spring-training games for the Marlins and Cardinals. The breadth of the Hospitality shortlist matched the multi-sector shape of the full slate.
Stoops Hands SBA the Chair After 22 Years as CEO
The Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s ceremony went to Jeffrey A. Stoops, chairman of the board of SBA Communications Corporation. The honor, sponsored by BillBone Law Group, was presented at the Kravis Center on May 29. Stoops transitioned from CEO to chairman on January 1, 2024, capping a 22-year run leading the company.
- March 1997: joined SBA Communications as general counsel
- December 1998: became the company’s chief financial officer
- June 1999: led SBA through its initial public offering
- August 1999: joined the SBA board of directors
- January 2024: transitioned from CEO to chairman of the board
Over those 22 years at the top, SBA Communications grew from a young public company into one of Florida’s largest by market capitalization and an S&P 500 member. Stoops received the Sun-Sentinel’s Excalibur Award, Florida Atlantic University’s Business Leader of the Year, and the South Florida Business Journal’s CEO of the Year during his tenure. Florida Trend placed him on its Florida 500 list of most influential businesspeople in each year from 2018 through 2023. Before SBA, Stoops practiced corporate and securities law for thirteen years at Gunster, a Florida-based firm.
SBA Communications, headquartered in Boca Raton, operates more than 46,000 wireless communications sites across 13 countries today. The firm employs over 1,800 people and generated $2.8 billion of revenue in 2025.
- 22% enterprise value growth during Stoops’s 22 years as CEO
- 16% compound annualized shareholder returns during his tenure
- Past chairman of The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
- Current chairman of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
- Florida Trend’s Florida 500 list 2018 through 2023
The Stoops Family Foundation, formed in 2013 with his wife Aggie, has granted approximately $20 million to nonprofits since its founding. The Stoopses have lived in Palm Beach County since 1984 and have directed most of those grants within the county, including gifts to the Kravis Center, Quantum House, and Florida State University.
Quantum House and the Forum Club Take the Nonprofit Trophies
Two of the six 2026 category trophies went to organizations serving families and civic education in the county. Quantum House took the Health & Human Services Organization of the Year award. The Forum Club of the Palm Beaches collected the Non-Profit of the Year honor.
Quantum House has operated for 25 years as a home-away-from-home for families whose children are navigating serious medical conditions. The organization runs 30 private suites and provides homecooked meals for guests staying through pediatric care in the region. The Chamber’s profile frames the organization’s purpose as making sure no family faces childhood illness alone.
The Forum Club of the Palm Beaches marked 50 years of programming as Florida’s largest nonpartisan political and public affairs organization. The club invites K-12 students to attend programs at no cost and gives teachers access to a searchable digital archive of past discussions. It convenes business, political, and community leaders for ongoing dialogue on policy issues, per the Chamber’s award profile. Quantum House and the Forum Club were the only 2026 winners drawn from civic life rather than commercial enterprise.
What the 2026 Slate Reveals About Palm Beach County’s Spread
The 2026 winners look very different from one another, and the six categories double as a snapshot of where the county’s economy has weight. From a 1976 landscaping firm to a 130-year-old family resort. From a 2018 private-security company to a 22-year CEO now serving as chairman. From an aerospace and election-equipment manufacturer to a 50-year civic-education nonprofit.
The Business Awards continues to be one of The Chamber’s most important traditions. It’s our opportunity to shine a light on the businesses and individuals who are driving Palm Beach County forward. Each of this year’s finalists and winners exemplifies excellence, leadership, and a true commitment to our community.
Michael Zeff, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, made those comments at the May 29 program. The Chamber’s recap of the morning’s program is on its Instagram feed. The full winners list and category descriptions are on the Chamber’s event page for the awards.
The 2026 ceremony at the Kravis Center matched the format used by other regional chambers, including the Lake Norman Chamber’s March 19 gala honoring community leaders. Across this year’s slate, founding dates stretch from 1896 (The Breakers) to 2018 (Tact Tech Security Solutions).
