Phillips Chevrolet of Frankfort on Dec. 10 won a 2020 Torch Award from the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and northern Illinois. It is the highest honor the BBB can award to a business.

The awards are presented annually to outstanding businesses, based on their number of employees, in recognition of their commitment to high standards in business trust and excellence in relationships with their customers, employees, suppliers, and the surrounding communities. Phillips Chevrolet of Frankfort employees 100 to 499 workers.

Candidates for the award were evaluated by a prestigious independent panel of 20 judges from the business and academic communities against these criteria:

• High ethical standards of behavior toward customers, suppliers, shareholders, employees, and communities. 

• Demonstrated ethical practices surrounding their buyer/seller relationships. 

• Marketing, advertising, communications, and sales practices which reflect a true representation of what is being offered in the marketplace.

• Acknowledgment of ethical marketplace practices by industry peers and in the communities where they do business.

 

In addition to the award based on company/employee size, three specialty categories were added this year. They are Minority-Owned & Operated businesses, Woman-Owned & Operated businesses, and a category for Business Associations.

For the first time, the 2020 Torch Awards were innovated into a virtual ceremony, and open to the public to see the winners announced. Cameo appearances from past winners and BBB board members also were featured.

The Torch Awards are open to all Chicago and northern Illinois based businesses which have operated for at least three years and have a track record of trust, ethics, and exceptional service.