The Fort Worth Chamber has named 14 finalists for the 2026 Small Business of the Year Award presented by Bank of Texas, including five in the Emerging Business category, where the field is normally three. 

The finalists were selected from 47 applications across four categories: three based on employee count (1–20, 21–50 and 51–150) and Emerging Businesses that opened their doors in the last three years. A total of 67 Chamber volunteers, including fellow business owners, previous SBYA winners, bankers and others, served as judges and scored every application blind, with company and personal names removed from the answers. Winners will be announced December 10th at State of the City. 

The finalists 

1–20 employees: HF Custom Solutions, Ofi Chito, and Pan American Wire. The three span branded merchandise, land use consulting and wire manufacturing, and were founded between 1984 and 2021. 

21–50 employees: Sparks Financial, Toro Branded Apparel & Merch, and Valor. Wealth management, branded apparel and oil and gas asset services are represented, with founding dates from 1972 to 2018. 

51–150 employees: Los Vaqueros Stockyards, On Q Property Management, and SporTherapy. A Stockyards restaurant, a property management firm and a 12-clinic physical therapy practice make up the group. 

Emerging Business: Bloc Blinds Manufacturing, Convergint Technology, Family First Comfort, iFlex Stretch Studios and Salute Wine Bar. Security integration, window shade manufacturing, residential HVAC, assisted stretching and a wine bar each launched a Fort Worth operation between 2023 and 2026. 

Why Emerging Business has five finalists 

Emerging Business advances five finalists because the judges' scores could not separate the three applications competing for the last spot. 

Each application was scored by a panel of volunteer judges. Because some judges score more strictly than others, scores were adjusted for each judge's own scoring pattern before the applications were ranked. Three applications finished within about a point of one another for the third and final finalist slot, and their order changed depending on how the scores were calculated. 

To break the tie, the Chamber brought in additional judges to score the three tied applications. Their margins stayed within the normal variation between judges and did not produce a decisive result. Choosing one or two of the three would have meant excluding a business on a difference the scores could not support. 

The cut after fifth place, by contrast, was clean: about ten points on the adjusted scale separated the five finalists from the rest of the category. All five advance. Five Emerging finalists has never happened in the history of the award, and the Chamber is responding with something new: a separate in-person judging panel of judges who specialize in assessing emerging businesses. It will interview all five finalists on Nov. 6, the same day the other categories are judged in person. 

What Happens Next 

Finalists in all four categories will meet in person with judges on November 6 for 20-minute interviews, which determine the winners. Emerging Business finalists will meet with the second panel of judges who specialize in emerging businesses. Winners will be announced on December 10 at State of the City, where each finalist will be showcased. 

Meet the finalists 

Finalists appear alphabetically within each category. Descriptions are drawn from each company's application profile. 

1–20 employees 

HF Custom Solutions. Since 2012, HF Custom Solutions has grown into a Fort Worth branded merchandise company serving local and national clients. It has been voted a Best Place to Work in Fort Worth six times and a Best Place for Working Parents three times, and it has twice been named a PPAI Best Place to Work. Its CEO was honored two years running as a Fort Worth Entrepreneur of Excellence, and the company draws on the purchasing power of a buying group of more than $1.6 billion. 

Ofi Chito LLC. Ofi Chito is a certified women's business enterprise (WBE) that provides land use, entitlements and project management consulting to commercial developers, corporate real estate teams and national brands. In just over four years it has grown from a solo consultancy to 18 professionals, with year-over-year revenue growth above 100%. It ranked No. 2 on UTA's Mavs100 list of fastest-growing alumni businesses, and CEO Leslie Ford is a 2026 Fort Worth, Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence finalist. 

Pan American Wire. Pan American Wire is a family-operated, SBA-certified veteran-owned manufacturer based in Fort Worth. For more than 40 years it has supplied baling wire to recycling facilities, retailers, distribution centers and waste operations across North America. As an ASTM-certified manufacturer, it also offers customers training, safety resources and operational expertise aimed at improving efficiency and cutting costs. 

21–50 employees 

Sparks Financial. Sparks Financial is a wealth management firm built on the idea that the most valuable thing a family can pass on is wisdom, trust and a plan. Forbes and Barron's have recognized it among the nation's top wealth management firms. It manages more than $2.5 billion in assets and has the trust of more than 200 families. 

Toro Branded Apparel & Merch. Founded more than 50 years ago, TORO is a woman-owned branding partner offering custom apparel, promotional products, online company stores, kitting, fulfillment and event merchandising. Under current leadership it has modernized its operations while keeping the relationships and integrity that built its reputation. It serves businesses, municipalities, schools and organizations, and says its greatest achievement is the trust of clients who return year after year. 

Valor. Valor is a technology-enabled asset management services provider for mineral rights owners and for oil and gas operators and investors. Its mineral management services include oil and gas accounting, land management, ownership verification and correction, and lease negotiation and counsel, and it provides back-office outsourcing for operators. Valor has been recognized by more than 50 awards programs, including the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, the Inc. 5000 and Fort Worth, Inc.'s Best Companies to Work For. 

51–150 employees 

Los Vaqueros Stockyards (Cisneros Restaurants, Inc.). Los Vaqueros is a family-owned Fort Worth institution rooted in three generations of the Cisneros family. Founded in the Stockyards in 1983, it has stayed committed to family recipes, fresh ingredients, genuine hospitality and service to its community. Johnny and Vicki Cisneros continue that legacy through the Stockyards and West locations, catering and special events. 

On Q Property Management. On Q was founded on the belief that property management should be organized, responsive and built on trust. It manages single-family homes and small multifamily properties in Phoenix, Tucson, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth. The company attributes its growth to consistency: systems that deliver a reliable experience every time and a focus on doing the fundamentals well. 

SporTherapy. For 37 years, SporTherapy has helped people across Fort Worth and surrounding communities recover from injury, manage pain and return to the activities they love. Its 12 clinics offer orthopedic and rehabilitative physical therapy, sports medicine, dry needling, aquatic therapy and other specialty services. The company credits skilled local teams that build relationships with patients and referring providers and tailor treatment to each person's goals. 

Emerging Business 

Bloc Blinds Manufacturing. Bloc Blinds makes window shades in Fort Worth and operates their original facility in Ireland, using robotic automation assembly to deliver mass customization with consistent quality and speed. It emphasizes attracting and retaining talent, a positive workplace culture, support for the local economy and meaningful career opportunities. 

Convergint Technology. Convergint Technology Center 222 opened in Fort Worth in 2026, created after the company's Carrollton office became its largest in 2025. The center gives DFW-area customers a Fort Worth warehouse and gives colleagues west of Carrollton a closer home base. It has reached more than 200% of its first-year budget and added headcount, and it expects to stand on its own as it brings more leadership, administrative and technical roles to Fort Worth. 

Family First Comfort. Family First Comfort is a family-owned residential HVAC company serving Fort Worth and the DFW area, offering heating and cooling installation, repair and maintenance. It competes on transparent pricing and says it never upsells customers on services they don't need. At least 61 five-star Google reviews from DFW homeowners reflect the trust it has built. 

iFlex Stretch Studios (JOBA Wellness, LLC). JOBA Wellness operates iFlex Stretch Studios – Heritage Trace, an independently owned franchise founded by a husband-and-wife team of Dallas–Fort Worth attorneys. It provides one-on-one assisted stretching to reduce pain, improve mobility, prevent injuries and enhance performance. It is the highest-grossing franchise in its system, was Sequel Brands' 2025 Franchisee of the Year and was named Fort Worth Weekly's 2025 Best Assisted Stretch Studio, with more than 660 five-star reviews. 

Salute Wine Bar. Salute is a veteran-owned, community-focused wine bar in Fort Worth's Foundry District, founded in 2024 by an Air Force veteran and his wife. Its name honors military service alongside a global toast to health. Guests use a self-serve wine wall with 42 global varietals, which uses technology to educate and inspire new wine lovers, and the owners say their welcoming, inclusive culture is what they are proudest of.