Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1545756
74 Worcester Business Journal | Book of Lists 2026 | wbjournal.com Largest woman-owned businesses Ranked by number of local employees Company Local employees/ local offices/ Type of business Woman owner(s)/ percent owned WBE certified?/ year founded 1 Worcester Restaurant Group 118 Highland St., Worcester 01609 508-798-3474 • worcesterrestaurantgroup.com 239 1 Restaurant group Madeleine Ahlquist owner 51% No 1979 2 Unic Pro Inc. 415 Boston Turnpike, Suite 211B, Shrewsbury 01545 877-881-8642 • unicpro.com 179 1 Commercial cleaning Beatriz Ramos president & CEO 100% Yes 2008 3 Century Homecare LLC 405 Grove St., Suites 102 & 103, Worcester 01605 888-292-1809 • centuryhomecare.com 132 1 Home health care Milka Njoroge CEO & administrator 100% Yes 2012 4 E.T. & L. Corp. 873 Great Road, Stow 01775 978-897-4353 • etlcorp.com 90 1 Construction, commercial contracting Kerry Maynard president 100% N/A 1945 4 Front Line Inc. 58 Mellen St., Hopedale 01747 508-634-6600 • frontlineinc.info 90 1 Construction services Nancy Salter president 100% Yes 1998 6 CommCan 730 Main St., Millis 02054 508-533-9333 • commcan.com 88 1 Adult-use and medical cannabis business Ellen Rosenfeld co-owner 51% Yes 2015 7 Rob Roy Hair Salons 150 Pleasant St., Worcester 01609 508-754-8839 • robroyhairsalons.com 80 9 Hair salons in Central Mass. Tracy Casey CEO Debra Cooke chief financial officer 100% No 1961 8 The Bull Run Restaurant 215 Great Road, Shirley 01464 978-425-4311 • bullrunrestaurant.com 70 1 Restaurant, concert and function venue Alison Tocci co-owner & innkeeper 51% No 1740 8 SOS Corp. 331 West St., Milford 01757 508-473-0466 • soscorp.net 70 1 Demolition and cleaning services Cindy Oldfield president 68% Yes 1990 10 BestPro Cleaning LLC 100 A June St., Worcester 01602 508-310-5406 • bestprollc.com 65 1 Commercial and restoration cleaning Diana Gallego general manager 51% Yes 1998 11 Atlas Travel & Technology Group 200 Donald Lynch Blvd., Marlborough 01752 508-488-1100 • atlastravelandtechnology.com 62 1 Business travel, vacation and meeting planning services Elaine Osgood CEO 60% Yes 1986 12 Prestige Adult Foster Care LLC 286 Lincoln St., Worcester 01605 508-205-6888 • prestigeafc.com 56 1 Adult foster care Highness Meena owner 100% Yes 2015 13 Bisousweet Confections 554 Willard St., Leominster 01453 978-425-5627 • bisousweet.com 50 1 Wholesale bakery Karen Collins founder & CEO 85% Yes 2009 13 BlueHive Inc. 7 Coppage Drive, Worcester 01603 (1) 508-581-9560 • blue-hive.com 50 1 Trade show & event program management services Caitlyn Correia owner & CEO N/A (2) No 2005 15 Synergy Wellness Center 45 Main St., Suite 403, Hudson 01749 (3) 978-333-7426 • synergy-wellness-center.com 48 2 Holistic wellness, mental health, acupuncture and yoga Michelle Grasso owner 100% No 2018 16 GVC Construction Inc. 305 Leominster Shirley Road, Lunenburg 01462 978-840-9700 • gvcconstruction.com 47 1 Heavy civil construction Geselle Valenti owner & president 100% Yes 2000 16 Physical Therapy Innovations 489 Washington St., Suite 200, Auburn 01501 774-696-8309 • physicaltherapyinnovations.com 47 8 Out-patient physical and occupational therapy clinics Colleen Friesl founder, president & CEO 100% Yes 1998 18 Accu-Clean Inc. 210 Park Ave., Suite 337, Worcester 01609 508-755-8166 • accu-cleaninc.com 45 1 Commercial janitorial cleaning services Michele Blanchette president Robin Booth vice president 100% Yes 1987 18 CAC Worcester LLC 255 Park Ave., Suite 412, Worcester 01609 508-756-5400 • cacworcester.org 45 2 Behavioral health clinic Jennifer J. Hylton executive director 100% No 2007 20 Castinetti Realty Group 2 Maple Ave., Shrewsbury 01545 508-277-0063 • homesbycrg.com 43 1 Realtor Andrea Castinetti owner 100% No 2018 21 Primary Colors Inc. 9 Millennium Drive, North Grafton 01536 508-887-8789 • primarycolorsinc.com 40 1 Manufacturer of color concentrates for plastic Carrie Ann Brown principal 51% No 1994 Source: Each company via survey as of Q2 2026. Note: N/A=not available (1) Additional location in Las Vegas, NV (2) Over 50% (3) Additional location at 563 Main St., 2nd Floor, Bolton -Compiled by: Heide Martin, hmartin@nebusinessmedia.com Worcester uses $500K Polar Park settlement to launch grant program The City of Worcester is offering grants of up to $25,000 for certified minority- and woman-owned businesses to help expand their capacity for contracting opportunities, using the $500,000 awarded to the City in its settlement over how such contractors weren't used in the construction of the Polar Park ballpark. The grand program will offer between $10,000 and $25,000 to qualifying businesses. The program is being funded from the 2022 settlement where Gilbane Building of Providence, Rhode Island, and Hunt Construction Group of Indianapolis, paid the state $1.9 million for misrepresenting their use of woman- and minority- owned subcontractors during the construction of the $160-million Polar Park. The City received $500,000 of that settlement. "This exciting program builds on the municipality's existing efforts to support the certification of minority and women-owned businesses," said Eric Batista, Worcester city manager. Applicants must be certified by the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office or recognized third-party certifying agencies as a minority- or woman- owned business, must be an active for-profit company in the construction sector or related industries in the City of Worcester, and must be in good standing with the Commonwealth and City. Selected businesses will be required to provide documentation on how the funds are used. Grant funding requests will be capped at 25% of yearly business expenses, up to $25,000. – Story by Eric Casey F O C U S G E N E R A L I N T E R E S T F O C U S Polar Park