2022 Best of the Corridor

CBJ Best of the CorridorThe CBJ is proud to unveil our 17th annual Best of the Corridor list, which encompasses 50 categories, ranging from the best professional firms to the best specialty retailers.

The interest in the annual competition was also large this year, with 4,809 votes, up from around 3,000 last year. It certainly is great to see interest in and engagement with local businesses, especially after the uncertainty of the past few years with the pandemic and derecho.

With those significant challenges, it is also great to see so many of the area’s longtime businesses still going strong. A business enters into the Best of Hall of Fame when it appears on the Best of Corridor list at least 10 times. Several of this year’s winners are already in the Hall of Fame with their continued dominance: Cedar Graphics (Best Printer), Hills Bank (Best Bank), Midwest Janitorial Service (Best Commercial Cleaning/Janitorial Services Company), OPN Architects (Best Architectural Firm), RSM (Best Accounting Firm) and Tallgrass (Best Office Equipment & Supplies).

Several more are knocking on the door of the Hall of Fame. Especially For You has won Best Walk or Run Event each of the nine times the category has been available. Culver’s Garden and Greenhouse has been voted Best Landscaping/Nursery seven times, and McGrath Automotive has won Best Auto Fleet Dealer seven times. The Hotel at Kirkwood has won six times as Best Banquet/ Event Facility, and Big Grove has won five straight years as Best Brewery.

Nine different companies won multiple awards this year: Cedar Rapids Toyota, deNovo Marketing, GreenState Credit Union, Hills Bank, Marketing Innovations, Mediacom, RSM US LLP, Skogman and UnityPoint. Mediacom was this year’s biggest winner, earning the titles of Best Cybersecurity Company, Best IT Support Company and Best Local Internet Service Provider.

It is also exciting to see new names on the list. Breaking into the realms of Best of the Corridor this year are: The Webster as Best New Restaurant, Paramount Theatre as Best Fine Arts Venue, Cedar Rapids Toyota as Best Auto Dealer, Iowa Eyecare as Best Optometrist/Ophthalmologist and Palmer Group as Best Staffing/Temp Agency. Jason Smith, CEO of TrueNorth Companies, was voted Best Business Leader for the first time, a title his father, Duane Smith, has held three times.

Thank you to our readers who support our area businesses and to the businesses themselves for their continued excellence and resilience during challenging times. You are what makes the Corridor a great place to live, work and play.

–Angela Holmes, Interim Editor

2022 Best of the Corridor

BEST ACCOUNTING FIRM: RSM US LLP

1ST RUNNER UP: Terry Lockridge & Dunn

2ND RUNNER UP: BerganKDV

BEST BUSINESS CONSULTING: RSM US LLP

1ST RUNNER UP: Bergan KDV

2ND RUNNER UP: CliftonLarsonAllen

BEST ARCHITECTURAL FIRM: OPN Architects

1ST RUNNER UP: Shive-Hattery

2ND RUNNER UP: Neumann Monson Architects

BEST AUTO DEALER: Cedar Rapids Toyota

1ST RUNNER UP: McGrath Automotive

2ND RUNNER UP: Junge Automotive

BEST AUTO SERVICE DEALER: Cedar Rapids Toyota

1ST RUNNER UP: McGrath Automotive

2ND RUNNER UP: Junge Automotive

BEST AUTO FLEET DEALER: McGrath Automotive

1ST RUNNER UP: Junge Automotive

2ND RUNNER UP: Billion Auto

BEST BANQUET/EVENT FACILITY: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center

1ST RUNNER UP: Epic Event Center

2ND RUNNER UP: The Olympic South Side Theater

BEST BANK: Hills Bank

1ST RUNNER UP: Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust

2ND RUNNER UP: Farmers State Bank

BEST WEALTH MANAGEMENT TEAM: Hills Bank

1ST RUNNER UP: RSM US Wealth Management LLC

2ND RUNNER UP: United Iowa Financial

BEST BREWERY: Big Grove Brewery

1ST RUNNER UP: Lion Bridge Brewing Co.

2ND RUNNER UP: Iowa Brewing Company

BEST BUSINESS INSURANCE BROKERAGE: TrueNorth Companies

1ST RUNNER UP: Skogman Insurance

2ND RUNNER UP: Relion Insurance

BEST COMMERCIAL CLEANING/ JANITORIAL SERVICES COMPANY: Midwest Janitorial

1ST RUNNER UP: EcoCare Supply

2ND RUNNER UP: Clean Sweep of Iowa City

BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LENDER: Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT)

1ST RUNNER UP: GreenState Credit Union

2ND RUNNER UP: Hills Bank

BEST BUSINESS LEADER: Jason Smith, TrueNorth

1ST RUNNER UP: Duane Smith, TrueNorth

2ND RUNNER UP: Carrie Wagner, United Iowa Financial James Klein, Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust (tie)

BEST COMMERCIAL REALTY COMPANY: Skogman Commercial

1ST RUNNER UP: Urban Acres Real Estate

BEST CULTURAL ATTRACTION: NewBo City Market

1ST RUNNER UP: Brucemore

2ND RUNNER UP: National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

BEST DEVELOPER: Ahmann Design, Inc.

1ST RUNNER UP: Skogman Realty

2ND RUNNER UP: Watts Group

BEST CREDIT UNION: GreenState Credit Union

1ST RUNNER UP: Collins Community Credit Union

2ND RUNNER UP: Linn Area Credit Union

BEST RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE LENDER: GreenState Credit Union

1ST RUNNER UP: Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT)

2ND RUNNER UP: Hills Bank

BEST ENGINEERING FIRM: HR Green, Inc.

1ST RUNNER UP: Axiom Consultants, LLC

2ND RUNNER UP: Brain Engineering, Inc.

BEST FINE ARTS VENUE: Paramount Theatre

1ST RUNNER UP: Hancher Auditorium

2ND RUNNER UP: Theatre Cedar Rapids

BEST GOLF COURSE: Elmcrest

1ST RUNNER UP:
Cedar Rapids Country Club

2ND RUNNER UP: Hunters Ridge

BEST CYBERSECURITY COMPANY: Mediacom

1ST RUNNER UP: ProCircular

2ND RUNNER UP: RSM US LLP

BEST IT SUPPORT COMPANY: Mediacom

1ST RUNNER UP: RSM US LLP

2ND RUNNER UP: CliftonLarsonAllen

BEST LOCAL INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER: Mediacom

1ST RUNNER UP: ImOn Communications

2ND RUNNER UP: South Slope Cooperative Communications

BEST HOME HEALTH CARE: UnityPoint Health at Home

1ST RUNNER UP: Meth-Wick Community Home

2ND RUNNER UP: CarePro Health Services

BEST HOME BUILDER: Skogman Homes

1ST RUNNER UP: Watts Group

2ND RUNNER UP: Advantage Custom Builders

BEST HOSPITAL: UnityPoint – St. Luke’s

1ST RUNNER UP: Mercy Medical Center

2ND RUNNER UP: University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics

BEST JEWELRY STORE: Siebke Hoyt Jewelers

1ST RUNNER UP: Ginsberg Jewelers

2ND RUNNER UP: Herteen & Stocker Jewelers

BEST LANDSCAPING & NURSERY: Culver’s Garden Center & Greenhouse

1ST RUNNER UP: Cedar River Garden Center

2ND RUNNER UP: Forevergreen

BEST LAW FIRM: Shuttleworth & Ingersoll Law Firm

1ST RUNNER UP: Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC

2ND RUNNER UP: Bradley & Riley PC

BEST MBA PROGRAM: UI Tippie College of Business

1ST RUNNER UP: Mount Mercy University

2ND RUNNER UP: University of Dubuque

BEST NEW RESTAURANT: The Webster

1ST RUNNER UP: Czech Town Station

2ND RUNNER UP: The Hip-Stir

BEST OFFICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES: Tallgrass Business Resources

1ST RUNNER UP: Staples

2ND RUNNER UP: Office Express

BEST OFFICE FURNISHINGS & DESIGN: Phelan’s Commercial Interiors

1ST RUNNER UP: Tallgrass Business Resources

2ND RUNNER UP: Pigott

BEST OPTOMETRIST/OPHTHALMOLOGIST: Iowa Eyecare

1ST RUNNER UP: Eye Associates

2ND RUNNER UP: Cedar Rapids Eye Care

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER: Joe Photo

1ST RUNNER UP: Read Photography

2ND RUNNER UP: Corridor Home Photos

BEST PLACE TO BUY WINE & SPIRITS: Hy-Vee Wine and Spirits

1ST RUNNER UP: Benz Beverage Depot

2ND RUNNER UP: Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery

BEST PR/MARKETING/CREATIVE AGENCY: deNovo Marketing

1ST RUNNER UP: Meld Marketing

2ND RUNNER UP: Marketing Innovations

BEST RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR DESIGNER/FIRM: Dwell Home Furnishings & Interior Design

1ST RUNNER UP: Phelan’s Interiors

2ND RUNNER UP: evolve Staging & Design

BEST PRINTER: Cedar Graphics

1ST RUNNER UP: Allegra

2ND RUNNER UP: Cedar Rapids Screen Print

BEST SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY: Meth-Wick Community

1ST RUNNER UP: Oaknoll Retirement Residence

2ND RUNNER UP: Cottage Grove Place

BEST RESIDENTIAL REALTY COMPANY: Skogman Realty

1ST RUNNER UP: Urban Acres Real Estate

2ND RUNNER UP: Coldwell Banker Real Estate

BEST SHOP FOR CORPORATE GIFTS: Marketing Innovations

1ST RUNNER UP: Banker’s Advertising

2ND RUNNER UP: IMS Branded Solutions

BEST SPECIALTY MARKETING PRODUCTS: Marketing Innovations

1ST RUNNER UP: Alpha Graphics

2ND RUNNER UP: Banker’s Advertising

BEST SIGN COMPANY: CR Signs

1ST RUNNER UP: Alpha Graphics

2ND RUNNER UP: Mediaquest

BEST STAFFING/TEMP AGENCY: Palmer Group

1ST RUNNER UP: Aerotek

2ND RUNNER UP: Robert Half

BEST TRUCKING COMPANY: Heartland Express

1ST RUNNER UP: Don Hummer Trucking

2ND RUNNER UP: West Side Transport

BEST WEBSITE/APP DEVELOPER: deNovo Marketing

1ST RUNNER UP: Meld Marketing

2ND RUNNER UP: GoDaddy

BEST WALK OR RUN EVENT: Especially for You

1ST RUNNER UP: Run CRANDIC

2ND RUNNER UP: Red Shamrock Foundation Trail Run