A look back: Business Awards winners over the years
The slate of Business Awards winners over the last five years reflects the ingenuity and durability of Martin County’s employment base.
The award categories also capture the evolving and emerging dynamics in our marketplace—from the energy and drive of young people to the expansion of local manufacturing to the collective effort to strengthen our community emphasis on workforce development.
Here’s a look back at previous recent winners and the creative ways they contribute to our economy.
Youth Entrepreneur of the Year
2025: Theo Smail, Theo Shot It!, a 17-year-old Jensen Beach High student who built a sports media business that creates custom content for student athletes, trainers and brands in multiple sports and multiple states.
2024: Parker Smith, Smith Marine Services, a marine washing and boat detailing business whose 17-year-old founder also provided boatmate and captain services—while earning his Yamaha mechanic certification.
2023: Jaxon McIntyre and Matthew Elder, Bright Delight Windows, two seniors at Jensen Beach High School who launched a residential window-cleaning business by going door-to-door to offer their services.
2022: Keegan Nunes of KSoap, an 11-year-old who created original soaps using a cold process known as saponification and launching an artisan soap brand that complemented her candle production.
Entrepreneur of the Year
2025: Sandy Woods, Treasure Coast Toyota/Treasure Coast Lexus, who created an expansive business empire in the automotive industry through his skillful ownership of several dealerships, including Treasure Coast Toyota in Stuart and Treasure Coast Lexus in Fort Pierce.
2024: Pete Morello Sr., CIS Security Solutions, whose company has for more than 30 years provided loss-prevention products and services to the retail industry, arming with retailers with ways to fight back, deter thieves and dissuade fraudsters.
2023: Eddie Kolos, CEO and founder of Stuart-based H2Ocean who created an expansive line of clean beauty products, skin care, pain relief, tattoo aftercare and First Aid items using eco-friendly organic ingredients.
2022: Jon Justak of Advanced Technologies Group in Stuart who operates an engineering research and development firm that holds 14 patents in the United States and abroad.
2021: Brian O’Connor of AirBurners, whose innovations are used worldwide to support land clearing operations, wildfire mitigation, and landfill space management—even disaster recovery.
Innovation in Workforce Development
2025: Alice’s Restaurant, A Caring Café, recognized ARC of the Treasure Coast teaming up with Treasure Coast Provisions and Indian River Provisions. Together they created a uniquely tailored training structure that helped ensure people with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida and other developmental disabilities are equipped and empowered to enjoy the dignity and sense of accomplishment associated with a day’s work.
Newcomer of the Year
2025: East Coast Metal Structures, which opened up a 100,000-square-foot facility in Indiantown, invested more than $3 million in robotic and automated technologies and hired 65 employees.
2024: TrenchBadger, a Stuart company that revolutionized the drudgery of digging with a handheld, gas-powered device that’s light, easy to operate and makes adding irrigation systems, low-voltage writing and fiber optics much more efficient.
2023: Containing Luxury, a Palm City company that repurposed shipping containers, designing affordable, safe, stylish housing solutions that are also eco-friendly.
2022: Daher, a 160-year-old family-owned aviation company that’s invested tens of millions of dollars into improving and expanding properties on Witham Field since 2022, hiring hundreds of people in its aviation manufacturing operation. Daher is also preparing onsite assembly of its TBM and Kodiak aircraft.
Headquarters of the Year
2025: Relive Health, which Domenic Lacovone started in Stuart in 2017, offering extensive health and wellness treatments in a luxury setting and expanded into a network of 15 clinics operating around the country.
2024: Paradise Air Fresh, a Palm City-based fragrance manufacturer that creates various scents for automotive, home or commercial use and serves a client base of which 75 percent is international.
2023: Awareness Technologies, a Palm City-based manufacturer that operates divisions around the world and enjoys international acclaim for its clinical laboratory instruments and diagnostic kits used in life science research, food safety, veterinary and environmental applications.
2022: IP Team, which was founded in Rio and based in Stuart, creates decorated clothing and branded promotional products for championship events, digital services and corporate promotional products for leading athletic associations and Fortune 50 companies.
2021: Seacoast Bank, which was established in Stuart in 1933, Seacoast is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida and provides commercial and retail banking, wealth management and mortgage services.
Company to Watch
2025: Daher
2024: Grind Hard Ammo, now Ikonick Energetics, transformed all 30,000 square feet of the former YMCA skate rink into an advanced automation operation that produces the copper casings and other nonhazardous components of ammunition, and is opening a second facility in the Village of Indiantown to manufacturer primers.
2023: ADDiTEC, a Palm City manufacturer that engineers robotic systems tailored to its customers’ needs, including research and development services, training and application support.
2022: Willis Custom Yachts, which operates a 35-acre facility in Stuart, employs more than 50 technicians and specializes in yacht design engineering, fiberglass construction and repair, hydraulics, carpentry, electrical services and more.
Manufacturer of the Year
2025: ADDiTEC
2024: Value Tool & Engineering was founded by BDBMC President Steve Hartz, an Air Force veteran whose company has a Palm City facility and manufacturers parts for fixed and rotary wings of nearly every U.S. military and NATO aircraft in flight.
2023: Pace Machine and Tool, a Stuart aerospace manufacturing company that specializes in precision tooling, fixturing and parts creation for defense suppliers and the aerospace industry.
2022: WMR Competitive Products manufactures custom products uniquely designed to give competitive motorcycle racers advantages on the track from its stunning state-of-the-art facility in Stuart.
Business Excellence
2025: Hinckley Yacht Services, which is globally renowned for its handcrafted, semi-custom yachts and sailboats, expanded its Stuart Service Center by 43,000 square feet and space to store up to 60 vessels.
2024: Pursuit Aerospace is one of the largest and longest-operating aerospace manufacturers in Martin County with 58 years in business, serving a global market and specializing in conventional and precision forgings that help create aircraft components.
2023: International Training, a Stuart-based multinational learning management system and database management system that tailors platforms for its clients to efficiently manage clients with easy-to-use, well-designed, unique technology tools.
2022: Bluestream Fiber, which built underground fiber throughout rural western Martin County in areas unserved by AT&T.
2021: Sunshine Land Design specializes in hands-on property maintenance, restoration, and construction services for residential, commercial, and municipal clients, Jensen Beach Causeway, Martin County Beach Plantings, Town Center at Mapp Road in Palm City, Indian Riverside Park.
Charlene Hoag Award
2025: Ryan Strom
2024: Suzy Hutcheson
2023: Tom and Sue Whittington
2022: Kelly Johnson
2021: Janice Norman