In 1938, Congress passed the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act to protect consumers. Under the law, cosmetics must be made and packaged in clean factories; they cannot contain poison, rotten or harmful ingredients; they may only use color additives approved by the U.

Three generations of the Sparke family have overseen operations here. The latest is Anna Maria Sparke, no kin to the island. “My grandfather [H. A. Sparke] had it from 1956 until he died in 1984. And my father [R. W. Sparke] took over in 1984, and he ran it until his death in 2020.

For Sayres, winning this award means “knowing that a lot of the things you try to do throughout the years finally worked, and they’re able to make a difference not only seen by our employees but our customers and the community,” he said. “It’s a great honor to have that.

“Upon receiving the award notification, I was completely shocked and humbled,” said SOBO owner Jamie Lopez. “While I put my heart and soul into building our business, it's not done for accolades. Rather, I strive to make a difference in the lives of our clients, those in our community, as well as our employees.