Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1542456
wbjournal.com | January 12, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 11 FOCUS B E S T O F B U S I N E S S e best businesses, according to WBJ readers W BJ's Best of Business awards are centered around one concept: referrals. Businesses will attract and retain new customers in all sorts of ways, but most will tell you the best way is to get your existing clients to do it for you. A recom- mendation from a trusted source goes a long way whenever a company leader is looking for a lawyer, an accountant, a place for lunch, a venue for a large event, or a fun place to take employees as a reward for all their hard work. Now in its 13th year, WBJ's Best of Business awards are essentially recommendations from trusted sources for the organizations to best help your companies succeed. As we do every year, WBJ compiled this list of winners by asking our readers to vote in the various cate- gories. From Nov. 1-28, more than 2,160 votes were cast. e top votegetters are the winners of this year's 54 categories. To celebrate these winners and to meet the best of the best, I invite you to attend WBJ's Best of Business awards event at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester. Part celebration and part hyperactive net- working event, the Best of Business awards is a unique experience in the local economic scene. Always a good time, the room is full of potential contacts, who can all help your business achieve that next level of excellence. To register, head to WBJournal.com. - Brad Kane, editor Note about the profiles: With the exception of the seven longer news stories with a reporter's byline, the Best of Business profiles were written by the AI program Claude, based on questionnaires submitted by the winners. All these stories were fact-checked and copyedited by a human editor. Note about the photos: Unless otherwise noted, all the photos in the Best of Business section were submitted by the winning companies. 2 0 2 6 W I N N E R Best Professional Services Best Financial Planning/ Investment Services Firm Bartholomew & Co. Best Accounting Firm Bollus Lynch* Best Credit Union Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU)* Best Public Relations Company EmpHowered PR* Best Business Valuator McLaren & Associates CPAs Best Forensic Accountant McLaren & Associates CPAs* Best Law Firm Mirick* Best Business Insurance Agency Sullivan Group Insurance & Risk Management Services* Best Bank UniBank* Best Chamber of Commerce Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce* Best Food & Drink Best Marijuana Company Bud's Goods & Provisions* Best Brewery Greater Good Imperial Brewing* Best Restaurant for Business Dinner One Eleven Chop House* Best Caterer Peppers Artful Events* Best Locally Owned Place to Meet for Coffee Sturbridge Coffee House* Best After-Work Bar The Mercantile Rooftop Restaurant & Bar* Best Restaurant for Business Lunch VIA Italian Table Best Ownership Best Minority-owned Business Bri's Sweet Treats* Best Woman-owned Business Center Mass Training Compound Best New Business HaBBQ Food Truck Best Employee-owned Company Paragus IT Best Family-owned Business R.H. White Construction* Best Events & Venues Best New Residential Development Alta on the Row Best Venue for a Business Meeting Beechwood Hotel* Best Nonprofit Fundraiser Event Champions for Children fundraiser for CASA Project Worcester County* Best Public Golf Course Green Hill Municipal G.C.* Best Venue for a Corporate Event Hogan Campus Center at the College of Holy Cross Best Venue for an Employee Outing Polar Park* Best Golf Club for Corporate Outing Wachusett Country Club Best Private Golf Course Worcester Country Club* Best Employee Services Best Hotel for Business Clients Beechwood Hotel* Best Health Insurance Provider Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts* Best Limousine Service Knight's Airport Limousine Service* Best Luxury Automobile Dealership Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury* Best College for Business Education Nichols College* Best Employee Benefits Consultant Sullivan Benefits, a Borislow Insurance company* Best Staffing Agency The DAVIS Cos.* Best Exercise Facility/Fitness Center Worcester Fitness* Best Young Professionals Network Young Professional Women's Association* Best Multimedia Services Best IT Services Provider ClearCom IT Solutions* Best Awards & Promotional Products Crown Trophy* Best Commercial Printer Curry Printing* Best Advertising Agency Munq Best Video Production Company Munq* Best Web Design Firm Pagano Media Best Office Services Best Office Cleaner Eagle Cleaning* Best Logistics Company Euro-American Worldwide Logistics* Best Plumber/HVAC Contractor J.J. Bafaro, Inc.* Best Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Kelleher & Sadowsky Associates* Best Commercial Landscaper LEI Corp.* Best Property Management Company NAI Glickman Kovago and Jacobs* Best Sign Company Sunshine Sign* Best Waste Removal Company Superior Waste & Recycling Best Co-working/Incubator Space Venture X Marlborough - Apex Center* *denotes repeat winner W And the 2026 Best of Business winners are...