Worcester Business Journal

30 Worcester Business Journal | Janurary 10, 2022 | wbjournal.com B E S T O F B U S I N E S S M U L T I M E D I A BEST AWARDS & PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS Engraveables, Inc. Marlborough www.engraveablesma.com Top executive: President Louis Papile, Jr. Founded: 1984 Employees: 2 Notable runners-up: Guertin Graphics, Crown Trophy A wards ceremonies, corporate events, local sports teams, and milestone gis, oen all incor- porate the finishing touch of personal- ization to make the memento special for the recipient. rough his company Engraveables, Louis Papile, Jr., is happy to be part of peoples' celebrations. Founded in 1984 by Louis Papile, Sr., Engraveables originally began as a sport- ing goods store. In addition to supplying sports equipment, Papile's father offered Engraveables has been etching its mark since 1984 BY SLOANE M. PERRON WBJ Staff Writer engraving on the small trophies he sold. Over the years, customer demand for en- graving superseded the sporting goods, so the family focused solely on that. Papile joined his father's business in 1998. He joked he worked harder for less money and no benefits. "But it was the best thing I ever did. I wasn't punching a timeclock anymore," he said. Papile proudly carries his family's legacy, even aer his father's passing. Engraveables now is a third-generation business with Papile's daughter on the team, but he hopes his baby grandson will one day take over. "We pride ourselves on engraving whatever we can, not just what we sell. We will engrave anything," Papile said. e oddest things Papile has engraved include a $3,000 bottle of whiskey, an Olympic-torch-styled award, a copper water can, and a steel cooking pan. e shop has a diamond cutter, a car- bon dioxide laser, and sand-etching ma- chine, meaning everything from painted surfaces to glass can be customized. e fiber laser is Papile's latest addition and gives him the ability to engrave on metal surfaces such as titanium. Engraveables' showroom allows customers to see all the award options to feel the trophies. Papile said physically feeling the awards is a very important part of the purchasing process and is lost when people order online. Over the years, the demand for engravings and trophies has shied, with most of Papile's work coming from corporate events and businesses. e company has seen many ups and downs in the market since 1984, the worst being the COVID pandemic and competition with internet-based companies. Papile is convinced Engrave- ables' reputation is what made his mostly word-of-mouth business succeed. BEST IT SERVICES PROVIDER Cinch I.T.* Worcester CinchIT.com Top executive: President Rick Porter Founded: 2004 Employees: 46 Cinch I.T. opened five new locations throughout the U.S. in 2021, giving the company 11 spots across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia, Michigan, and Utah. Cinch serves its clients best by focusing on its team, creating a culture of dedicated individuals who strive to provide Louis Papile, Jr. (left) the best IT support possible. Notable runners-up: ClearCom IT Solutions, Inc., Machado Consulting n BEST COMMERCIAL PRINTER Curry Printing* Westborough curryprinting.com Top executive: President Peter Gardner Founded: 1978 Employees: 30 Curry has a strong focus on understanding clients' needs so the company can help them achieve more and get better results, constantly striving to learn everything about the challenges clients face. At Curry, 2021 was a build-back year, trying to return to pre-COVID sales levels. This focus translated to understanding how clients were pivoting in the new normal. That translated into a resurgence in sales for Curry, which met its goals. Notable runners-up: Miles Press, Inc., AlphaGraphics n BEST VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY Pagano Media* Worcester paganomedia.com Top executive: CEO Kathleen Pagano Founded: 1981 Employees: 9 Pagano Media fuses design, digital technology and data to spark growth. It is a boutique digital marketing agency focusing on creating world-class branding, website design & development, video production, digital marketing campaigns, and live events. Last year turned out to be an important one for Pagano, as video helped clients overcome the challenges of COVID, while Pagano celebrated its 40th anniversary. Notable runners-up: Studio Jade, PENTA Communications, Inc. n The Pagano team BEST ADVERTISING AGENCY PENTA Communications, Inc.* Westborough www.pentamarketing.com Top executive: Founder & CEO Deborah Penta Founded: 1989 Employees: 17 For more than 30 years, PENTA has served as a fully integrated strategic marketing partner, supporting numerous organizations throughout Central Massachusetts. In 2021, PENTA strategized with clients to help them improve strategies, and create and offer innovative services to sustain and grow, including reaching its clients' customers to engage and strengthen communications during COVID. Notable runners-up: Davis Advertising, Studio Jade n BEST WEB DESIGN FIRM PENTA Communications, Inc.* Westborough www.pentamarketing.com Top executive: Founder & CEO Deborah Penta Founded: 1989 Employees: 17 PENTA has been providing website design and development services to clients for W

• Cover