On Tuesday, Dec. 10, The Business Journal hosted its 11th annual Best of Central Valley Business Awards dinner. Some of the Valley’s biggest names in business were in attendance at Pardini’s Catering to celebrate their achievements and be featured as one of the Valley’s top honorees, voted on by readers of The Business Journal.

Today, The Business Journal highlights its essential services and community impact award recipients. Congratulations to all winners.

 

Best Nonprofit: Marjaree Mason Center

 

1st Finalist: Central California Food Bank
2nd Finalist: Hinds Hospice

Written by: Ben Hensley

For the first time since 2022, the Marjaree Mason Center finds itself back in the top spot for this year’s Best of the Central Valley Business Awards Best Nonprofit category, beating out finalists Central California Food Bank and Hinds Hospice in this year’s voting.

“Being named a finalist in the Best of Central Valley Awards Best Non-Profit category is a true honor and a testament to the incredible work taking place to serve survivors of domestic violence in our community,” said Marjaree Mason Center CEO Nicole Linder. “This recognition not only highlights our commitment to survivors and their children, but also celebrates the collective efforts of our team, our partners, and our donors who share our vision for a community free of domestic violence.”

Founded in 1978 after the murder of the center’s namesake — Marjaree Mason — the Marjaree Mason Center advocates for victims of domestic violence, helping provide shelter, resources, legal aid and more to those in need.

The Marjaree Mason Center’s new Isnardi Foundation Community Resource Center is scheduled to open its doors this month, doubling the capacity of the center’s non-residential services. The building will house the nonprofit’s 24/7 trauma center, drop-in center, non-residential survivor services, group therapy and more.

The organization has tirelessly raised funds for several years since acquiring the building, formerly Milan Institute, hosting match donation campaigns for the $21 million project.

Paired with the expected opening of the Isnardi Foundation Building, the Marjaree Mason Center also introduced its new logo this year. Their new logo, featuring a butterfly, represents transformation, resilience and freedom, reflecting on the challenging journey survivors of domestic violence face.

 

Best Local Construction Firm: Harris Construction

 

1st Finalist: Quiring General
2nd Finalist: Pickett & Sons Construction Inc.

Written by: Frank Lopez

This is the second year in a row that Harris Construction was voted as the Best Local Construction Firm.

Since its founding in 1914, Harris Construction has grown its legacy spanning over five generations, becoming a prominent builder in multiple sectors, including education, civic and public safety, health care, industrial and private ventures.

A statement from Harris Construction said the repeated recognition as the Best Local Construction firm is a testament to the company’s commitment to honesty, integrity, customer satisfaction and community involvement.

The Harris team has spent years dedicated to building strong relationships, delivering exceptional projects and giving back to the community.

This year, Harris Construction successfully completed several projects, including the Child Development Center for Fresno City College, The Fairmont Elementary School Ag Farm For Sanger Unified School District, and the Video Broadcasting Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

There is also significant progress done on new school projects including Sanger West High School Phase III, The Terry Bradley Ed Center for Clovis Unified School District, and just starting the new King Husein Elementary School for Madera Unified School District.

“As we look ahead to 2025, we are optimistic about the future. We will start new construction on two civic buildings (Reedley and Clovis) late in the year, amongst other new educational and civic projects, plus the continuation of our other large educational and civic projects. Our goal is to continue delivering exceptional results and building on our reputation as a leading contractor in both Central and Coastal California,” a statement from Harris Construction read.

 

Best Local Credit Union: Educational Employees Credit Union

 

1st Finalist: Noble Credit Union
2nd Finalist: Golden 1 Credit Union

Written by: Gabriel Dillard

The Best Credit Union category for 2024 represents a homecoming for EECU (Educational Employees Credit Union) as it won the category for the 10th year after just missing the top spot in 2023.

EECU is the Central Valley’s largest member-owned credit union, with $4.6 billion in assets and 367,087 members as of 2023. Elizabeth Dooley is the CEO.

The win is extra special for EECU as it celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, founded in 1934. With new branches, ATMs, loan products and other services, the credit union aims to serve members where their financial needs live.

At EECU, we are always looking for ways to better serve our members. Earlier this year we launched our mobile branch, which helps us make banking services more accessible – especially for those in more rural areas who can’t easily visit a branch or ATM,” said Mark V. Perez, senior VP of lending and marketing. “We also opened an ATM in West Fresno – the only full-service credit union ATM in the 93706-zip code. In addition to expanding services, we provide free financial wellness education to people of all ages, and we continue to support numerous organizations, programs and events in the community as we prioritize giving back to the communities we are so proud to serve.”

 

Best Hospital: Clovis Community Medical Center

 

1st Finalist: Valley Children’s Hospital
2nd Finalist: Saint Agnes Medical Center

Written by: Ben Hensley

Clovis Community Medical Center (CCMC) has been named “Best Hospital” for the tenth time in this year’s competition, reflecting a quality of care and commitment to excellence shown by the team.

CCMC has been voted “Best Hospital” in all but one of the 11 years of The Business Journal’s Best Of awards presentations. Last year, Kaiser Permanente took home the title, with CCMC honored as 1st Finalist.

“We are humbled by this honor, knowing it represents the efforts of our doctors, nurses, support staff, and the community we serve,” said Alan Christianson, VP, chief operating officer at CCMC. “This accolade is a testament to the unwavering dedication and commitment of our entire team, where each member plays a vital role in creating an environment of healing and hope, and this inspires us to continue pushing the boundaries of excellence in healthcare.”

CCMC is one of four Community Health System inpatient hospitals in the area. The hospital was first established in 1965 and has seen several expansions. It was renamed Clovis Community Hospital in 1982 and opened at its current location in 1988.

Over the past decade, CCMC has seen expansion in its emergency department, pharmacy, laboratory and other services, as well as expansion of its outpatient care center, parking facilities and more in order to meet the growing needs of care in the area.

 

Best Women-Owned Business: La Tapatia Tortilleria Inc.

 

1st Finalist: Facility Designs
2nd Finalist: JP Marketing

Written by: Alex Light

In 1969 La Tapatia Tortilleria started as a side business after Helen Hansen bought her first set of tortilla making equipment, making tortillas in the evenings and weekends after her shift at the grain factory.

Decades later, the company has become a Central Valley staple and nothing short of a household name with products being sold in grocery stores up and down the Central Valley. It has won in the Best Women-Owned Business category for the fifth time — and the first since 2022.

For Yvette Cuellar, Hansen’s daughter and director of public relations and marketing for the company, this achievement is an honor.

“Being a finalist, or even being included in the voting to begin with, feels like a very humbling and prestigious honor,” said Cuellar. “It really means a lot to us that our company is important or meaningful to others, especially because we are a locally based family company.”

As it’s grown, La Tapatia Tortilleria has had the opportunity to give back to the community through sponsorships, donations to nonprofits and participating in community outreach events. Cuellar attributes this, along with maintaining a face-to-face relationship with customers, to the success of the business, which ships globally.

“I think being out and participating in the community has helped put a face to the company, and keep us at the forefront of people’s minds,” said Cuellar.

 

Best Family-Owned Business: Wawona Frozen Foods – Smittcamp Family

 

1st Finalist: Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant—The Harris Family
2nd Finalist: De Young Properties—The De Young Family

Written by: Frank Lopez

This is the sixth time that Business Journal voters have chosen Wawona Frozen Foods, owned by the Smittcamp Family, as the Best Family Owned Business. It’s their first win since 2021.

Since 1963, Wawona Frozen Foods has been a purveyor of various frozen fruits, including peaches, pears, strawberries, plums and more.

The company is an industry leader that ships more than 100 million pounds of frozen fruit annually.

The company was founded by Earl Smittcamp, and later ran by his children. Bob Smittcamp passed away in 2021, and Wawona Frozen Foods is led today by CEO Bill Smittcamp.

Wawona Frozen Foods employs nearly 300 full-time employees.

Each year, employees raise money for Valley Children’s Hospital, with Wawona matching those funds.

Marketing Manager Blair Smittcamp said the family is incredibly honored to be nominated for the Best Family Owned Business. She said they are proud to be a third-generation family-owned company.

The family would like to see Bill retire and take some time for himself, but “it’s not in his blood,” Blair said.

“We love the opportunity to share the fruits of our labor, literally and figuratively. The Fresno/Clovis area has been so good to us and we love to give back. The support that we have for the community is unwavering,” Blair said.