NOTL residents take home three Niagara Women in Business Awards

Neither Melissa Achal nor Barbara Worthy expected to be stepping onto the Sheraton Fallsview stage Thursday afternoon to accept Women in Business Awards. 

But that’s exactly what happened when Worthy was announced as this year’s recipient of the Cultural Arts Award and Achal was named the winner of both the Entrepreneurship and the Excellence in Hospitality and Tourism Awards at the annual event hosted by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce’s Women In Niagara Council.

“I didn’t even have any kind of speech ready because I was sure I wouldn’t win it,” Worthy told The Local. “There were so many powerhouse women in that audience (of more than 500) and in my category. I was stunned.”

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum’s community engagement coordinator took to the podium and immediately spoke of the importance of arts and culture, “such an economic driver to this incredible region we live in.”

She thanked her fellow museum staff members, including Sarah Kaufman, who has been an award-winner herself, taking home the NOTL Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leadership Award in March. 

“We are a staff of four very strong women producing a very mighty museum,” Worthy said during her speech. “The stories we tell there are emblematic of what we do in the arts across the region. Our stories, history and futures are all wrapped up together and the arts bring everyone here to the region.”

Worthy has “worked with just about every arts group here in town,” she said Friday. 

As an independent producer, she was involved in the film Flames of War — An 1812 Experience that toured across Canada. She has taught drama, English and art at Brock University and Niagara College, taught performance to young Music Niagara students, and has acted, written and produced at the Shaw Festival. 

“It’s so great that they (WIN council) recognize the arts along with all the business people at these awards,” said Worthy. “I felt that everybody in that room supported everyone who was there, everyone who was nominated. I feel like I now belong to this amazing club of powerful women, each with something to offer - their journeys, knowledge and experience.” 

As for Achal,  emcee Stephanie Vivier of CKTB-AM told the crowd that the co-owner with her husband Rob of the Niagara Stone Rd. business NEOB Lavender became the first woman to win two WIBAs in the same year. 

“It was an amazing feeling,” Achal said when speaking to The Local. “It was definitely a proud moment for me, my family and my team. I wasn’t expecting to be called the first time, and to be called up a second time I was just blown away.”

Both of her speeches referenced NEOB’s recent “big year.” After 13 years they moved their operation down the road to the corner of Concession 7 Rd.

“We moved it all in one month,” she explained. “We went from two acres to 12 acres. To be able to create more products with all the extra space is so inspiring.”

Though she insists the move wasn’t challenging, she leaves out the fact that their production facility had to be transported from the old site’s barn to a warehouse on York Road. A Queen Street storefront was rented as the new location didn’t have enough space. And through it all, she was dividing her time between the three locations in NOTL and NEOB stores in Stratford, Elora and Bracebridge. 

A true entrepreneur, Achal started selling flowers across Canada right after she finished high school in Beamsville. She sourced her products from South America and shipped them to stores that didn’t normally sell flowers. In a few years, she and Rob started growing flowers themselves to supplement their offerings.

“And then we filled a greenhouse with lavender,” the Virgil resident laughed. “We didn’t really know what to do with it, so we read up on it, learned all about its properties and developed it into essential oils from there.”

Today, NEOB is much more than essential oils. The product line includes creams, cleansers, mists and soaps as well as bath, hair and culinary products. And the farm itself is a destination for tourists looking for a unique experience and impressive Instagram backdrops. Hence her Hospitality and Tourism Award. 

“We go to great lengths to serve our customers,” said Achal. “We’re all about customer service. We offer samples and we go above and beyond to allow people to experience the farm, too. We have an amazing staff. Every one of them projects a wonderful attitude toward everyone who walks through our door.”

And NEOB continues to grow. Finishing touches are being put on a new retail shop on the farm and another new structure will house a production facility. 

Like Worthy, Achal was amazed by Thursday’s gathering of impressive women “who have strived to do their best to create something, sometimes from nothing, and to keep working hard, dedicating their time and energy to it.”

“It’s refreshing to know that there are others like us out there,” she added. “We don’t do it for these awards. We do it for our family (hers also includes eight-year-old Logan and Zoey, 11, who was at the WIBAs with her) and for our staff. It was a pretty awesome feeling.”

2024 Niagara Women in Business Award winners:

Cultural Arts Award - Barbara Worthy, NOTL Museum

Entrepreneurship Award - Melissa Achal, NEOB Lavender

Excellence in Hospitality & Tourism Award - Melissa Achal, NEOB Lavender

Excellence in Environmental Leadership Award - Bobbie Armstrong, Uptake Alliance

Community Impact Award - Bonnie Watts, Niagara Community Legal Clinic

Young Professional Award - Brittany Davy, Anchor Rehabilitation Support Services

Emerging Business Award - Harlee Barfknecht-Zuber, Iron and Oak Railroad Services

Health Care Hero Award - Leah Jeffery, Bethesda Niagara

Equity Entrepreneur Award - Lilian Lum Mbah, Divine Favour Healthcare Staffing     

Excellence in the Public Sector Award - Lina DeChellis, City of Welland

Excellence in the Not-for-Profit Sector Award - Lori Gill, ATTCH Niagara

Corporate Leadership Award - Marrianne Wilson, CAA Niagara

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Award - Nattaly Gerena Romero, General Motors

Excellence in Trades Award - Sabrina Frechette, Board Boss Drywall

Bestowed Awards:

Lifetime Achievement Award - Michele O’Keefe, Niagara College

Ruth Unrau Legacy Award - Stephanie Thompson - STEM by Steph