Worcester Business Journal

24 Worcester Business Journal | January 12, 2026 | wbjournal.com Pagano Media specializes in visuals, SEO for web design BEST IT SERVICES PROVIDER Winner: ClearCom IT Solutions, Inc.*, in Sturbridge ClearCom IT Solutions provides man- aged IT and cybersecurity services for small- to medium-sized busi- nesses. Services include day-to-day IT support and strategic IT planning aligned with business objectives. The company serves clients in Central Massachusetts and surrounding regions, maintaining a 98% client satisfaction rating and 99% year-over- year retention rate. Website: www.clearcomit.com Top executive: Rob Cleary, CEO Founded: 2001 Employees: 31 Notable runners-up: Cinch I.T., Machado Consulting BEST AWARDS & PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS Winner: Crown Trophy*, in Northborough Crown Trophy provides trophies, plaques, medals, sculptures, gifts, drinkware, barware, custom medals, coins and pins, signage, and apparel. The company offers customization services and maintains inventory of proprietary products. Website: www.crowntrophy.com Top executive: Andy Gleckel, owner Founded: 1996 Employees: 9 Notable runner-up: Olympic Trophy in Worcester BEST COMMERCIAL PRINTER Winner: Curry Printing*, in Westborough Curry Printing produces market- ing collateral and offers fulfillment services including kitting, inventory management, fulfillment, and in-house mailing. The company provides clients with production and distribution ser- vices for administrative and marketing materials. Curry differentiates itself with a laser focus on helping clients be more productive while at the same time ensuring the company generates better results. Website: CurryPrinting.com Top executive: Peter Gardner Founded: 1978 Employees: 26 Notable runners-up: Minuteman Press in Devens, Fitchburg, Marlborough, Milford, Natick, and Worcester; Miles Press in Auburn BEST ADVERTISING AGENCY Winner: Munq, in Worcester Munq provides brand strategy, marketing strategy, campaign management, video production, and design services. Munq operates as a two-person studio and has stood out among the crowd in the five years since its founding by putting extra effort into developing clients' brands, as well as its own. Website: munqcreative.com BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor N ow in operation for more than 40 years, Worces- ter-based Pagano Media has been around for the entire evolution of the internet. e small firm has been able to compete with the biggest players in web design by staying on top of the latest trends and technological developments, said Emma Pagano, strategic director at the company. Pagano Media has adapted to the rise of search engine optimization driving web traffic and users accessing websites through various devices. "When we take on a new project, whether that's a branding project, a video project, a web design project, or event production, we really are trying to drive meaning and purpose behind our design," Pagano said. at thoughtful approach has allowed the firm to attract big clients from Central Massachusetts and beyond. Web clients of Pagano Media have included global manufacturer Saint-Gobain, Paxton-based Anna Maria College, and California-headquartered Keystone Capital Markets, to name a few. Pagano Media started as a video-fo- cused marketing firm, founded in an Assumption College dorm room in 1980 by Joe Pagano, Emma's father. is expe- rience has become even more valuable in an age where web design has taken a more visual-driven approach, she said. "We capture intention by inspiring audiences to move or take action with less words, more visuals to help tell their stories in many cases," Emma Pagano said. "Of course, there's exceptions to that, when things get a little more tech- nical and specialized, but since we offer video services, we can be very nimble with weaving video and imagery into websites." e family business' longstanding reputation in the Worcester area has al- lowed it to capture big clients in Central Massachusetts, but Pagano credits the firm's own web presence for its ability to attract top clients from further away, as the company continues to grow. "In terms of working with brands beyond Worcester, it really has been driven by our website," she said. "We specialize in search engine optimization, and an area that we've really focused on is creating portfolio pages that speak to certain industries. So when we're sharing our branding, video, and web design work, and say, aerospace and defense or manufacturing, that oen leads to inquiries from those spaces all over the country." Even as its presence has grown well beyond Worcester, the company hasn't forgotten its local roots, Pagano said. "We feel very fortunate," Pagano said of the 2026 Best of Business recognition. "We love what we do, and we love the greater community of Worcester. We feel very fortunate that we've had the oppor- tunity to work with brands across indus- tries and help them tell their stories." The Pagano Media leadership team BEST WEB DESIGN FIRM Winner: Pagano Media, in Worcester Website: paganomedia.com Top executive: Joe Pagano, president Founded: 1981 Employees: 9 Notable runners-up: inConcert Web Solutions in Gardner, Worcester Interactive B E S T O F B U S I N E S S M U L T I M E D I A W W W W Andy Gleckel Munq Co-Founders Timothy Hally (left) and Justin Matsen

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