Worcester Business Journal

16 Worcester Business Journal | January 11, 2021 | wbjournal.com B E S T O F B U S I N E S S O F F I C E S E R V I C E S BEST COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPER Rosado & Sons, Inc. Westborough, www.rosadoandsons.com Top Executive: President Tony Rosado Founded: 1989 Employees: 55 Notable runners-up: Cheaper than the Kid Next Door, Keating Enterprises, Inc. T he coronavirus pandemic kept people home in 2020 – and will do so well into 2021 – far more than they would have expected starting the year. at meant a lot of people looked around their yard and discovered both a desire to upgrade where they'd be spending nearly all their time as well as savings maybe earmarked for a vacation. "We certainly found that homeowners were interested in improving their out- door space since they were home much Rosado & Sons benefited from the home improvement boom BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor more than previous years," said Aaron Bunn, a member of the sales team at Rosado & Sons, Inc. in Westborough. Rosado & Sons, which was found- ed in 1989 and today has more than 50 employees, found itself busy with commercial and residential landscaping and construction services, including landscaping design, patios and other masonry projects, irrigation systems, and water features such as backyard wa- terfalls – attributes homeowners would find appealing while at home more. e company covers a stretch of the Massachusetts Turnpike from Sudbury to Worcester, and I-495 from Westford to Franklin. Rosado provides commer- cial plowing services over the winter. Rosado & Sons isn't alone in bene- fitting from the massive shi in where people have been spending their time. A survey in September by the Indi- anapolis-based Home Improvement Research Institute said consumer home improvement spending was expected to spike 11% last year, hitting roughly $312 billion. Porch, a Seattle home ser- vices startup, in a survey in July found roughly three in four people took on a home improvement project during the pandemic, and roughly the same rate of people expected to undertake at least one in the coming 12 months. For companies like Rosado & Sons, being deemed an essential business during the pandemic ensured they remained open. e biggest adjustment was helping homeowners find the best value for reduced budgets, Bunn said. Generally, homeowners locally haven't opted for big wow-factor projects. "I wouldn't say 2020 brought people to think bigger or more elaborate," Bunn said, "but it certainly gave the home- owner more time to think about how they wanted to upgrade their outdoor space." BEST PLUMBER/HVAC CONTRACTOR J.J. Bafaro, Inc.* Worcester, JJBafaro.com Top executive: President Joe Bafaro Founded: 1965 Winner of the WBJ Best of Business Award every year since 2015, J.J. Bafaro remains a family-owned, community- focused plumbing and HVAC provider with services including design build and engineering, HVAC systems & piping, plumbing, heating, sheet metal, fire protection, and repairs and maintenance. n BEST LOGISTICS COMPANY Euro-American Worldwide Logistics* Worcester, www.eawlogistics.com Top executive: President Eric Busenburg Founded: 1966 Employees: 20 Euro-American's third-party logistics allows the company to maintain direct control of products throughout the manufacturing supply chain, which reduces the need for brokering to additional outside parties and enhances efficiency, safety and quality assurance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company shifted 70% of its staff to working remotely, while maintaining its ISO-9001 certified processes. n BEST COFFEE SERVICE Good As Gold Coffee* Worcester, www.goodasgoldcoffeeservice.com Top executive: President Patrice Goldman Founded: 1969 Employees: Between 12 & 20 employees The family-owned coffee company offers office service ranging from by-the-pot brewing and single-cup pods to nitro cold brew and espresso. The company's air roasting technique helps showcase beans' land of origin and produce a satisfying taste. n BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE Kelleher & Sadowsky Associates* Worcester, Kelleher-Sadowsky.com Top executives: Principals James Umphrey, Will Kelleher, John McKinley and Don Mancini Founded: 1981 Employees: 25 Kelleher has helped hundreds of companies and property owners achieve their real estate objectives in Central Massachusetts over the last 40 years. The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the trend of brand- name tenants with investment-grade credit migrating from Boston and Cambridge to the region, especially in the biotech and warehouse sectors. As a result, Kelleher expanded its footprint to the MetroWest region. Notable runner-up: NAI Glickman Kovago & Jacobs n Four Kelleher & Sadowsky brokers at a conference table The Good as Gold team President Tony Rosado and Vice President Mark Kaminski W

• Cover