For this year, WBJ readers weighed in more than 17,000 times in a record 54 categories to give you recommendations on topics such as the Best Web Design Firm (Worcester Interactive) and the Best Venue for a Corporate Event (Apex Center of New England).
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When you’re looking for a service provider for your business, what do you do? Whether you want to take out a loan from a bank or credit union, set up an employee training program with a local college, or figure out who will clean your bathroom the best, the process is going to be strikingly similar: Combine your own experience with those of others, tap any personal contacts you may have, and then hope your research and circumstances result in you having made a solid choice.
In total, the years of experience WBJ readers have in picking business service providers has to be more than 1 million. Some worked out, some didn’t, and always, lessons were learned. This is why each year for the past seven years, we’ve asked our readers to tell us who they believe are the Best of Business in Central Massachusetts. Similar to how you would ask a trusted friend for a recommendation or look up online reviews of a business before jumping in with both feet, the combined opinion of WBJ readers offers you reliable recommendations.
For this year, WBJ readers weighed in more than 17,000 times in a record 54 categories to give you recommendations on topics such as the Best Web Design Firm (Worcester Interactive) and the Best Venue for a Corporate Event (Apex Center of New England) to the Best Staffing Agency (The DAVIS Cos.) and the Best Restaurant for Business Dinner (One Eleven Chop House). Because the companies often considered the best typically stay the best, 45 of the Best of Business this year are repeats from last year.
So, whether you are making a quick decision on where to go to lunch or grab a drink, or making a more long-term commitment such as picking an accountant or a health insurance provider, the WBJ Best of Business is meant to be a useful guide for you to leverage the combined experience of business leaders like yourself. They are all solid choices.
– Brad Kane, editor
BEST OF BUSINESS: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
- Best Accounting Firm: Bollus Lynch, LLP Certified Public Accountants & Consultants*
- Best Credit Union: DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union*
- Best Forensic Accountant: McLaren & Associates CPAs, PC*
- Best Law Firm: Mirick O’Connell*
- Best Woman-owned Business: PENTA Communications, Inc.*
- Best Minority-owned Business: Resource Management, Inc.*
- Best Business Insurance Agency: Sullivan Insurance Group*
- Best Bank:Â UniBank*
- Best Chamber of Commerce: Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce*
BEST OF BUSINESS: EMPLOYEE SERVICES
- Best Health Insurance Provider: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts*
- Best Professional Training Company: MindsetGo
- Best College for Business Education: Nichols College*
- Best Financial Planning/Investment Services Firm: Provo Wealth Management Group*
- Best Employee Benefits Consultant: Sullivan Benefits*
- Best Staffing Agency: The DAVIS Cos.*
- Best Luxury Automobile Dealership: Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury*
- Best Exercise Facility/Fitness Center: Worcester Fitness*
- Best Young Professionals Network: YPWA (Young Professional Women’s Association) of Worcester*
BEST OF BUSINESS: FOOD & DRINK
- Best Locally Owned Place to Meet for Coffee: BirchTree Bread Co.*
- Best Restaurant for Business Dinner: One Eleven Chop House*
- Best Caterer for a Corporate Event: Peppers Artful Events*
- Best Blackstone Valley After-Work Bar: Reunion Tap & Table*, North Grafton
- Best North County After-Work Bar: Slattery's, Fitchburg
- Best Metrowest After-Work Bar: Tavern In The Square Northborough*
- Best Worcester After-Work Bar: The Beer Garden
- Best Central Mass. South After-Work Bar: The Cedar Street Grille*, Sturbridge
- Best Restaurant for Business Lunch: The Sole Proprietor*
- Best Local Brewery: Wormtown Brewery*
BEST OF BUSINESS: OFFICE SERVICES
- Best Commercial Landscaper: Cheaper Than The Kid Next Door Landscaping*
- Best Coworking Space: Clearly Coworking*
- Best Waste Removal: E.L. Harvey*
- Best Office Cleaning: Eagle Cleaning Corp.*
- Best Logistics Company: Euro-American Worldwide Logistics*
- Best Coffee Service: Good As Gold Coffee*
- Best Plumber/HVAC Contractor: J.J. Bafaro, Inc.*
- Best Commercial Real Estate Brokerage: Kelleher & Sadowsky
- Best Limousine Service: Knight’s Airport Limousine Service Inc.*
BEST OF BUSINESS: EVENTS & VENUES
- Best New Real Estate Development: 145 Front Street
- Best Venue for a Corporate Event: Apex Center of New England
- Best Venue for an Employee Outing: Apex Entertainment*
- Best Hotel for Business Clients: Beechwood Hotel*
- Best Venue for a Business Meeting: Beechwood Hotel*
- Best Public Golf Course: Green Hill Municipal Golf Course*
- Best Nonprofit Fundraiser Event: March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction*
- Best Golf Club for Corporate Outing: Worcester Country Club
- Best Private Golf Course: Worcester Country Club*
BEST OF BUSINESS: MULTIMEDIA EXPERTS
- Best IT Services provider: Cinch IT, Inc.*
- Best Commercial Printer: Curry Printing*
- Best Awards & Promotional Products: Engraveables
- Best Video Production: Pagano Media*
- Best Advertising Agency: PENTA Communications, Inc.*
- Best Internet Service Provider: Spectrum Enterprise*
- Best Sign Company: Sunshine Sign Co., Inc.*
- Best Web Design Firm: Worcester Interactive
*Repeat winner
