Fifteen finalists span five categories, with winners to be announced at a December 11 luncheon.
By Dawn Michelle Laguerre | November 12, 2026
The Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce has named 15 finalists for its 2026 Business of the Year Awards, recognizing a mix of businesses and nonprofit organizations across five categories.
Winners will be announced Friday, December 11, at the Chamber’s awards luncheon at Delta Hotels by Marriott, according to the organizer’s November 12 announcement and event flyer. Staffworks is the presenting sponsor.
The announcement identifies finalists, not winners. The Chamber says the awards consider commitment to the region, staying power and involvement with the Chamber. Those are the organizer’s criteria, rather than an independent ranking by Mohawk Valley Voice.
The 2026 finalists
Three finalists are listed in each category. The nonprofit and for-profit divisions separate organizations with 50 or fewer employees from those with more than 50. The Catalyst Rising Business category recognizes businesses operating for one to five years, according to the event flyer.
Catalyst Rising Business
- Alexandra Carbone – Equitable Advisors
- Handshake Antiques
- The Portal
Nonprofit with 50 or fewer employees
- Center for Family Life and Recovery
- Next
- Sleep in Heavenly Peace Utica
Nonprofit with more than 50 employees
- Nascentia Health
- Resource Center for Independent Living
- The Arc, Oneida – Lewis Chapter
For-profit with 50 or fewer employees
- Anjolen Cybersecurity
- Calabria Coffee
- Twin Ponds Golf and Country Club
For-profit with more than 50 employees
- Slocum Dickson Medical Group
- Pike Construction Services
- Utica First Insurance Co.
When to arrive and how to register
The Chamber’s official registration page lists the event for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 11. Check-in and networking begin at 11 a.m., with the luncheon and awards program starting at noon.
The registration page describes sampling and networking before the program. Attendees should allow time for that opening portion rather than treating noon as the start of the entire event.
The Chamber says tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. Readers should use the official registration page to check current availability, pricing and purchase terms before making plans. An individual ticket price was not available in the accessible registration information reviewed for this story.
A local business calendar with separate awards programs
For Mohawk Valley readers, the finalist list offers a look at the range of organizations the Chamber is recognizing, from smaller enterprises to larger employers and nonprofit service providers. The employee-size divisions matter: organizations are competing within their listed categories, not together for a single award across the whole list.
This December luncheon is separate from the Leading EDGE Awards scheduled for November 16. That event is organized by Mohawk Valley EDGE and has its own honorees. The two programs should not be confused when checking dates or registration information.
The next development in the Chamber awards will be the announcement of winners at the December 11 luncheon. Until then, the organizations above remain finalists. This preview does not imply that any finalist has already received the award.
Sources: Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce announcement and accompanying 2026 Business of the Year Awards flyer, received November 12, 2026; official Chamber registration page, checked November 12. Finalist names follow the written announcement.
