Best Accounting Firm
First place: PBMares, LLP, Harrisonburg, PBMares.com, 540-434-5975
PBMares offers accounting and consulting services primarily to Mid-Atlantic businesses. Services include tax planning and preparation, auditing, and consulting for industries as varied as healthcare, hospitality, non-profit, and construction and real estate. The firm also provides services through its affiliates, including forensic financial services and investment planning.
Second place: Brown Edwards, Harrisonburg, BECPAs.com, 540-434-6736
Third place: YHB CPAs & Consultants, Winchester, YHBCPA.com, 540-662-3417
Best Architecture Firm
First place: Frazier Associates, Staunton, FrazierAssociates.com, 540-886-6230
Frazier Associates work in residential and community design and preservation. One of the things that sets the more than 30-year-old firm apart is its commitment to small-town character. The firm has worked in more than 100 Virginia communities revitalizing Main Streets and restoring historic buildings.
Second place: The Gaines Group, Harrisonburg, TheGainesGroup.com, 540-437-0012
Third place: Blue Ridge Architects PC, Harrisonburg, BlueRidgeArchitects.com, 540-437-1228
Best Automotive Repair Shop
First place: Hershey Tire and Auto, Staunton, HersheyTire.com, 540-886-3438
For more than 50 years Hershey Tire has provided preventive services like oil changes and inspections. More recently, it has begun to offer roadside repair and now, with its new website, accepts online repair requests. Hershey also sells a wide selection of tires by brands such as Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear.
Second place: Wrench Craft, Harrisonburg, WrenchCraft.com, 540-433-2102
Third place: Eavers Tire Pros, Stuarts Draft, EaversTirePros.com, 540-337-2531
Best Cosmetic Surgery Practice
First place: Asfa Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa, Rockingham, AsfaPlasticSurgery.com, 540-432-0303
Dr. Saied Asfa trained with the Long Island Plastic Surgical Group in complex reconstructive procedures, including microsurgery and peripheral nerve repair. His practice offers various surgical and aesthetic treatments, such as facial implants, rhinoplasty, Botox and Kybella.
Second place: Exclusively Faces Cosmetic Surgery and Medispa, Winchester, ExclusivelyFaces.com, 540-773-2258
Third place: Whitney and Ramsey Oral & Facial Surgery, Harrisonburg, WhitneySurgery.com, 540-437-1230
Best Day Spa
First place: Bluestone Bodyworks, Harrisonburg, BluestoneBodyworks.com, 540-434-5000
Co-owners Tess Sherman, Taryn Callahan, Shannon Lafy and Cassy Buracker describe their business as a mind and body tune-up. An Aveda exclusive spa, Bluestone offers hot stone, prenatal and deep-tissue massages, as well as ear candling, custom spray tans and a private relaxation room for bridal parties or events.
Second place: Breezy Hill Day Spa, Staunton, BreezyHillDaySpa.com, 540-886-0887
Third place: Cedar Stone Wellness Spa, Harrisonburg, CedarStoneSpa.com, 540-437-0411
Best Dental Practice
First place: Smiles of Virginia Family Dental Center, Winchester, SmilesOfVirginia.com, 540-450-2100
Formerly Dr. King and Associates, Smiles of Virginia changed its name to emphasize the services provided by two new team members, Drs. Oestervemb and DeWeerd, as well as its broad array of services. Offering orthodontia, pediatric dentistry, implants and oral surgery, Smiles of Virginia’s three dentists work to repair and maintain most smiles.
Second place: Dr. Robert C. Hull, D.D.S., P.C., Lexington, HullDentistry.com, 540-463-3826
Third place: Front Royal Dental Care, FrontRoyalDentalCare.com, 540-635-4567
Best Dermatology Practice
First place: Harrisonburg Dermatology, Harrisonburg, HarrisonburgDermatology.com, 540-433-8700
Dr. Jerri Alexiou provides a wide variety of services treating skin cancer, psoriasis, rosacea and nail diseases, as well as contact allergy patch testing for patients with persistently red and itchy skin. Dr. Alexiou and her team also provide skin cancer screenings and educate patients about how to stay cancer-free.
Second place: Savola Aesthetic Dermatology Center, Fishersville, SavolaDermatology.com, 540-451-2833
Third place: Access Dermatology, Harrisonburg, Access-Dermatology.com, 540-434-1756
Best Event Planning
First place: RCK Weddings & Design, Winchester, RCKWeddings.com, 540-327-8426
Planning a wedding is no easy task, but for owner Renee Krejci it’s a labor of love. Krejci and her team are available to plan and coordinate every aspect of the big day. For brides on a budget, RCK offers a “DIY Bride Assistant” service, allowing brides to consult with Krejci for a reduced fee.
Second place: The Faded Poppy, Waynesboro, TheFadedPoppy.com, 540-448-0187
Third place: It’s Your Day, Harrisonburg, ItsYourDayVA.com, 540-325-1571
Best Eye Care Provider
First place: Rockingham Eye Physicians & Associates, P.C., Harrisonburg, RockinghamEyePhysicians.com, 540-433-2485
The six-doctor team at Rockingham Eye Physicians provides exams and contact lens fittings as well as more complicated procedures, including laser refractive surgery and treatment for glaucoma or retinal disorders. The practice, open since 1975, also comprises an optical shop, Bluestone Optical, offering designer eyewear brands including Valentino and Ray-Ban.
Second place: EyeOne, Staunton, EyeOneVA.com, 540-213-7720
Third place: Lexington Eye Care, Lexington, LexEyeCare.com, 540-463-1600
Best Financial Planning Firm
First place: Sarah R Fowler, Edward Jones, Staunton, EdwardJones.com, 540-885-5630
Sarah Fowler says her primary mission is to educate clients on saving for retirement and making their money work for them. She also advises clients in estate planning and planning for education expenses, and has recently begun helping businesses establish retirement plans.
Second place: Good Wealth Management, Harrisonburg, GoodWM.com, 540-801-8000
Third place: Edward Jones, Waynesboro, EdwardJones.com, 540-946-4888
Best Hair Salon
First place: The Studio Hair Salon & Day Spa, Harrisonburg, TheStudioHairSalon.com, 540-434-8188
Six days out of the year, the Studio Hair Salon takes time to educate its employees and help them hone their craft from beginner to expert—they’re even opening their own school, the Salon Professional Academy. The salon offers texture services, color and cut, as well as massages, waxing and nail services.
Second place: Tease Hair Design, Staunton, Facebook.com/TeaseHairDesign, 540-885-1550
Third place: White Unicorn Hair Salon, Harrisonburg, Facebook.com/WhiteUnicornHairSalon, 540-442-7112
Best Home Builder
First place: Sustainable Solutions of VA, Harrisonburg, SustainableSolutionsVa.com, 540-433-8001
Sustainable Solutions offers an “Aging in Place” design, focusing on long-term mobility for homeowners and taking into account shelf height among other modifications. The company also specializes in sustainable, energy efficient home construction, remodeling and repair.
Second place: Herr & Co., Harrisonburg, HerrInc.com, 540-437-1683
Third place: MaxMark Homes LLC, Lexington, MaxMarkHomes.com, 540-463-5302
Best Hospital
First place: Augusta Health, Fishersville, AugustaHealth.com, 540-332-4000
Opened in 1994, Augusta Health employs several hundred full-time physicians and more than 2,000 staffers. The hospital’s cancer center, affiliated with Duke Health, provides screenings, chemo and radiation. It also employs cancer “navigators,” nurses who have had cancer themselves, to support patients.
Second place: Sentara RMH Medical Center, Harrisonburg, Sentara.com, 540-689-1000
Third place: Winchester Medical Center, Winchester, ValleyHealthLink.com/WMC, 540-536-8000
Best Independent School
First place: Stuart Hall School, Staunton, StuartHallSchool.org, 540-885-0356
Stuart Hall is a pre-K-12 day and boarding school. It offers “emphasis” programs for students interested in particular subjects, such as fine arts, math, and science. Rigorous academics have resulted in a 100 percent college placement record—students have matriculated to such universities as Cornell and Brown.
Second place: Redeemer Classical School, Keezletown, RedeemerClassical.org, 540-437-0880
Third place: Pollywog Place, Woodstock, PollywogPlace.com, 540-459-6582
Best Interior Design Firm
First place: PJ Designs, Woodstock, PJDesignsVA.com, 540-459-8307
Being a “Made in America” business was a “founding principle” for owners Pat Koch and John Gerold. The firm works with residential, commercial, and healthcare clients from South Carolina to the Northeast. This year, the firm began offering pre-made, lined drapery panels in four different ‘top’ styles (as in pinch pleated).
Second place: Southern Girls, Lexington, SouthernGirlsVa.com, 540-464-3500
Third place: Cherish Every Moment, Staunton, CherishEveryMoment.biz, 540-292-5365
Best Kitchen Design Firm
First place: Classic Kitchen and Bath, Harrisonburg, ClassicKitchens.com, 540-437-1990
This year, designer Kathy Pitt placed among the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s top 30 under 30. A one-stop shop for kitchen and bath remodels, the firm designs and installs cabinetry, countertops and appliances, from brands including Maytag, KitchenAid and Whirlpool.
Second place: Absolute Kitchens at PJ Designs, Woodstock, Absolute-Kitchens.com, 540-459-2250
Third place: Mossy Creek Cabinet Co., Harrisonburg, MossyCreekCabinets.com, 540-705-7902
Best Landscaping Company
First place: Fine Earth, LLC, Harrisonburg, FineEarthLLC.com, 540-432-7977
Owner Chad Layman serves both commercial clients (such as James Madison University and local hospitals) and residential, maintaining two full time crews for landscaping and maintenance. The business has also donated services to Lacey Spring Elementary School, installing flagstone paths and flowerbeds.
Second place: Staunton Plant Company, Staunton, StauntonPlant.com, 540-885-1292
Third place: The Natural Garden, Harrisonburg, TheNaturalGarden.net, 540-432-5522
Best Law Firm
First place: Hoover Penrod, Harrisonburg, HooverPenrod.com, 540-433-2444
Founded in 1935, Hoover Penrod regularly gives back to the Harrisonburg community it calls home. Lawrence “Larry” Hoover Jr., helped establish Blue Ridge Legal Services, a pro-bono legal services firm, and many of the firm’s ten lawyers remain involved in pro-bono representation as well as in the practice of civil litigation, family law, estate planning, business and commercial law and a variety of other areas.
Second place: Timberlake, Smith, Thomas & Moses PC, Staunton, TSTM.com, 540-885-1517
Third place: Clark & Bradshaw, P.C., Harrisonburg, Clark-Bradshaw.com, 540-433-2601
Best Massage Therapy Group
First place: Health Impact, LLC, Staunton, MyHealthImpact.com, 540-292-4195
Owner Mary Helen Thorne and therapist Anna Betlej specialize in deep-tissue massage techniques, including Ashiatsu bar therapy, a technique using the therapist’s bare feet and parallel overhead bars to vary pressure and weight. Thorne continues to train in aromatherapy and manual lymph drainage techniques.
Second place: Cedar Stone Wellness Spa, Harrisonburg, CedarStoneSpa.com, 540-437-0411
Third place: Bluestone Bodyworks, Harrisonburg, BluestoneBodyworks.com, 540-434-5000
Best Med Spa
First place: Asfa Plastic Surgery & Medical Spa, Harrisonburg, AsfaPlasticSurgery.com, 540-432-0303
Asfa Plastic Surgery provides the most in-demand noninvasive procedures, including Botox, Juvederm, microdermabrasion and chemical peels to keep skin looking young and clear. The practice offers popular treatments like Botox and fat-melting Kybella injections, as well as chemical peels and Obagi skincare products.
Second place: Shenandoah Women’s Healthcare and Spa, Harrisonburg, SWHC-Office.com, 540-438-1314
Third place: Savola Aesthetic Dermatology Center, Fishersville, SavolaDermatology.com, 540-451-2833
Best Men’s Haircut
First place: Buck’s Barber Shop, Lexington, 540-463-7468
Buck’s has seen generations come and go since its opening in 1954, but the shop still keeps to its original ethos of providing the best quality haircut for an affordable price in a friendly family atmosphere, say owners Jeremy and Kodi Burner, who have owned the business for the last seven years.
Second place: Omar’s Hair Salon, Harrisonburg, OmarsHairSalon.com, 540-282-2575
Third place: Hair Corral, Dayton, Facebook.com/HairCorralVA, 540-879-2557
Best Orthodontic Practice
Parrott Orthodontics17 Gosnell Crossing, StauntonParrottOrthodontics.com, 540-949-6600
Dr. Quay Parrott came to the Shenandoah Valley by way of New Orleans and Baltimore, settling in his old college town to raise his family and start his practice. He makes kids who are apprehensive about getting braces feel at home with arcade games in the waiting room, friendly staff and a large open treatment space, rather than individual patient rooms.
second place: Shenandoah Valley Orthodontics, WinchesterShenandoahOrtho.com, 540-667-9662third place: Ashley Orthodontics, StauntonAshleyOrtho.com, 540-885-6815
Best Pediatric Practice
Augusta Pediatric57 Beam Lane, Suite 202, FishersvilleUVAHealth.com, 540-932-0980
Affiliated with the University of Virginia’s health system, Augusta Pediatric connects parents with UVA specialists when necessary, and provides walk-in and evening hours. Augusta understands the importance of nurturing a child’s mind, too, which is why the practice’s Reach Out and Read program gives children under five an age-appropriate book at each check up.
second place: Bluestone Pediatrics, HarrisonburgBluestonePediatrics.com, 540-437-4800third place: Harrisonburg PediatricsHarrisonburgPediatrics.com, 540-434-3004
Best Pet Boarding
Creature Comfort Inn1937 Millner Road, StrasburgCreatureComfortInn.net, 540-465-3007
Your pup may have some unusual roommates during his stay at Creature Comfort—past guests have included an Arctic fox, a pig and various birds and reptiles. Whatever the animal, Creature Comfort offers personalized attention, from walks in the woods to pool time.
second place: Rainbow Springs Kennels, StauntonRainbowSpringsKennels.com, 540-885-7846third place: Cavalier Kennels, Front RoyalCavalierKennels.com, 540-631-1100
Best Photographer
White Sails PhotographyLurayWhiteSailsCreative.com, 540-335-5958
“My photography style is about connection,” says owner Gabrielle Van Wyck, “between those in front of the camera and the one behind.” Having taken her business full-time in 2016, Van Wyck specializes in portraits and weddings. Soon to come: GoPro portable camera rentals for kayaking trips on the Shenandoah River.
second place: Gitchell’s Photography, HarrisonburgGitchells.com, 540-434-5314third place: J. Ellis Photography, HarrisonburgJ-EllisPhotography.com, 540-421-7886
Best Physical Therapy Group
Synergy Rehab and Wellness1561 Commerce Road, Suite 402, VeronaSynergyStaunton.com, 540-416-0530
Synergy provides a variety of manual therapy services, including craniosacral massage, muscle energy therapy techniques and dry needling, a technique similar to acupuncture. Having twice expanded since it opened in 2011, the practice now includes a full gym and an infrared sauna, as well as a naturopath physician on staff.
second place: Barren Ridge Physical Therapy, FishersvilleBarrenRidgePT.com, 540-949-5383third place: Advantage Physical Therapy & Sports Performance, HarrisonburgAdvantagePTSP.com, 540-434-1200
Best Private Air Service
Blue Ridge Aviation51 Aviation Circle, Weyers CaveFlyBlueRidgeAviation.com, 540-246-9407
Blue Ridge Aviation partners with Blue Ridge Community College to educate pilots and anyone interested in learning to fly, offering training toward private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and flight instructor certificates. Blue Ridge employs four instructors and a mechanic at its Weyers Cave location and operates an additional flight center in Charlottesville.
second place: Dynamic Aviation, BridgewaterDynamicAviation.com, 540-828-6070third place: Eagle’s Nest Flight Services, WaynesboroEaglesNest.aero, 540-943-4447
Best Real Estate Firm
Funkhouser Real Estate Group401 University Blvd., HarrisonburgFunkhouserGroup.com, 540-434-2400
With nearly 70 real estate associates across the Valley, Funkhouser Real Estate Group sells, manages and rents commercial and residential properties. For a preview before you drive to your prospective new home, the firm’s website offers a 3D walk-through for each listing.
second place: Kline May Realty, HarrisonburgKlineMay.com, 540-437-3500third place: J.F. Brown Real Estate Services, LexingtonJFBrownRealEstate.com, 540-464-1776
Best Veterinary Hospital
Westwood Animal Hospital15 Miss Phillips Road, StauntonWestwoodAH.com, 540-337-6200
Westwood Animal Hospital has 13 veterinarians trained to treat animals from barn cats to cattle, and offers house calls for animals unable to travel. Westwood provides orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries, as well as check ups. For livestock, the vet provides routine check ups, dental care and a variety of other services.
second place: Augusta Valley Animal Hospital, StauntonAugustaValleyAnimal.com, 540-324-3830third place: Heartland Veterinary Clinic, StauntonHeartlandVetClinic.com, 540-434-3903
Best Wedding Venue
Big Spring Farm104 Fredericksburg Road, LexingtonBigSpringVA.com, 703-244-4068
Big Spring Farm is only 10 minutes from Lexington’s downtown, and yet, according to owner Buddy Powers, “you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere,” surrounded by trees, mountains and a 150-year-old barn. But, thankfully, some 21st century amenities remain—Big Spring’s barn is fully air-conditioned for summer weddings.
second place: Merry Go Round Farm, CovingtonMerryFarmers.com, 804-339-3434third place: Stover Hall, LurayStoverHall.com, 540-742-1703
