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 real estate and construction industry award recipients. Congratulations to all winners.

 

Best Business Supporting Local Charities: Granville Homes
1st Finalist: Table Mountain Casino | 2nd Finalist: Harris Construction
Best Homebuilder: Granville Homes
1st Finalist: Lennar Homes | 2nd Finalist: Gary McDonald Homes

 

Written by: Frank Lopez

Granville Homes was voted Best Homebuilder for the 12the time this year, as well as the Best Business Supporting Local Charities.

Founded in 1977, Granville has built more than 7,500 homes in the Central Valley.

Granville Homes is very active in philanthropy, supporting organizations including Hinds Hospice, Poverello House and the Marjaree Mason Center.

Each year, Granville supports dozens of nonprofit and community organizations. The Granville Home of Hope is the company’s biggest annual fundraiser. It raffles off a brand new home awarded to the winner as a grand prize.

Granville CEO Darius Assemi said he is proud and grateful for the opportunity to support nine local nonprofits through Granville Home of Hope.

He is also grateful for people who took the time to vote for The Business Journal’s “Best of” awards.

“I’m grateful to our community that trusts Granville Homes and have supported our nominations for the ‘Best Homebuilder’ and ‘Best Business Supporting Local Charities.’”

According to Granville Homes’ website, more than $9 million has been raised through the Granville Home of Hope program alone. The 2024 nonprofit beneficiaries are Angels of Grace, Breaking the Chains, CASA of Fresno & Madera Counties, Central California Food Bank, Foundation for Sanger Schools, Fresno Police & Fire Chaplaincy, Fresno Mission, Mell’s Mutts and Parents & Addicts in Need (PAIN).

 

Best Commercial Real Estate Company: Colliers International

 

1st Finalist: Fortune Associates
2nd Finalist: Russell G. Smith Inc.

Written by: Dylan Gonzales

For the fourth time, Colliers International has been voted as the best commercial real estate company in the Central Valley. All four wins have been in the last six years. Colliers won three straight “Best Of” awards from 2019-21.

Colliers was founded in 1968 as Charles Tingley Associates in Fresno. Since then, the Central California branch of Colliers International has become a leading commercial real estate firm, serving the San Joaquin Valley, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties.

In addition to marketing properties from office, industrial, retail, land, investment to multifamily, Colliers is also a key source of data and information about the Central Valley commercial real estate market.

Colliers is heavily involved in local charities. They helped provide 525,000 meals as part of the Central Valley Community Food Bank’s Hunger Heroes campaign. They’ve also partnered with Catholic Charities for their Turkey Drive.

 

Best Title Company: Chicago Title Co.

 

1st Finalist: Commonwealth Lang Title Insurance
2nd Finalist: Fidelity National Title Co.

Written by: Frank Lopez

This year marks the sixth time that Business Journal readers voted Chicago Title Co. as Best Title Company. The last time it won the award was in 2021.

The company gained national recognition after the Great Chicago Fire of 1891 and has established its presence in the Central Valley for nearly 100 years, marking a deep history in the region.

Jennifer Shepherd, vice president and sales manager at Chicago Title Co. Fresno/Madera, said it’s nice to be consistently recognized for its work in the community and meeting the standards they set for themselves of providing excellent service.

Work was steady this year, Shepherd said, but there was some disruption on the home resale side with concerns about real estate agent commissions.

On the refinance side, Shepherd said the team is poised for a rate cut to unlock potential clients.

Shepherd said the team is excited for the growth seen in several of their offices, including the Clovis office that opened in 2023, which really blossomed.

There are 10 Chicago Title Co. locations throughout the Central Valley between Fresno, and the Tulare/Kings County areas.

In all locations in the Central Valley, Chicago Title Co. has more than 100 employees.

“It was good that business has been steady, that we’ve been able to maintain and even grow some of their operations and we are looking forward to 2025 being a good year as well,” Shepherd said.

Winning the Best Of award again is considered a benchmark by the Chicago Title Co. team, she said.

 

Best Real Estate Property Management Company: Manco Abbott

 

1st Finalist: Granville Realty
2nd Finalist: Dana Butcher and Associates

Written by: Dylan Gonzales

For the ninth time in 11 years, Manco Abbott was voted as the best real estate property company. This is Manco Abbott’s third straight win in this category.

In 2022, Manco Abbott celebrated 50 years of business.

Greg Bethke, executive vice president at Manco Abbott, described the nomination for this award as validating.

“It kind of validates our core values, that what we are setting out to do with the core values of our company are working,” Bethke said. “This means that our clients, our tenants and our residents on the multi-family side appreciate what we’re doing, and we’re delivering a good product to them.”

Bethke, who has been at Manco Abbott for 23 years, said his favorite part of working there are the people.

“Everybody here is passionate about what we do, and they all do a really good job of working towards our ultimate goals of creating value for our clients and creating a good environment for our commercial tenants and multi-family residents,” Bethke said.

While 2024 is ending with an award, Bethke is excited for what’s next in 2025.

“We’re always looking to improve on what we do,” Bethke said. “So we’re looking at technology, we’re looking at additional training for our people, and, you know, looking at anything and everything we can do to make our service stand out for our clients and our tenants.”

 

Best Architectural Firm: Darden Architects

 

1st Finalist: PAul Halajian Architects
2nd Finalist: Teter

Written by: Frank Lopez

Business Journal readers have voted for Darden Architects as the Best Architectural Firm for the ninth time.

Founded By Edwin S. Darden in 1959, the firm’s early works supported the growing communities of the California San Joaquin Valley with their high-quality design and a strong commitment to customer service.

The firm specializes in projects in education, health care, interior design and the civic sector.

Some of Darden’s notable projects include Madera Community College, the emergency helipad at the Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia and the Visalia Emergency Communications Center.

Darden is currently in its fourth generation of firm leadership with Robert L. Petithomme serving as managing principal.

Today, the company utilizes new design technology to create 3-D visualizations and create more complete, concise, well-coordinated documents.

Darden also gives back to the community, offering a $1,000 architecture scholarship to a San Joaquin Valley student since 2007 in hopes they will graduate and return to the area and strengthen the architectural profession.

 

Best Engineering Firm: Precision Civil Engineering, Inc.

 

1st Finalist: Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group
2nd Finalist: Blair, Church & Flynn

Written by: Jesus Herrera

Business Journal readers voted Precision Civil Engineering the best engineering firm in the Central Valley in 2024. This is the company’s second time winning the category within the last three years.

The nomination “Solidifies the recognition of our collective skill-sets and commitment to the success of the Valley,” Makenna Bass, director of business development said in an email.

Founder and President Ed Dunkel, Jr. is a fifth-generation Fresnan from a family with nearly 60 years of experience in engineering services. After getting its start in 2002, Precision Civil Engineering has grown and diversified from its roots in residential land development to now include planning, land surveying, construction management and more.

As of 2024, the team at Precision has partnered with at least 1,453 clients and worked on more than 3,600 projects.

According to Bass, Precision sets itself apart from its competitors in its “genuine affection for the communities we serve.”

As the year ends and the company looks to the future, the goals are growing its footprint into the South Valley and eventual expansion outside of California.

 

Best Property/Casualty Insurance Company

 

1st Finalist: Cal Valley Insurance Services
2nd Finalist: Der Manouel Insurance Group

Written by: Gabriel Dillard

Being nominated for the 11th consecutive year as the Best Property & Casualty Insurance Brokerage in the Best of Central Valley Business Awards is an incredible honor for everyone at DiBuduo & DeFendis Insurance Brokers (D&D).

“As a family-owned business rooted in the heart of the Central Valley for 64 years, this recognition means so much to us because it reflects the trust and confidence our clients and community have in the work we do every day,” said Principal Mike DeFendis

For over six decades, D&D has been committed to serving clients with integrity, dedication, and personalized care in the insurance industry. D&D takes pride in giving back through various initiatives and partnerships that uplift the Central Valley. Supporting local businesses, organizations, and families isn’t just part of their mission — it’s part of who they are.

“Looking ahead to 2025, we’re filled with excitement and optimism. We’re thrilled to welcome new producers and team members, all throughout California, who share our passion for building meaningful relationships and delivering exceptional service. At the same time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the clients who have been with us over the years, helping them protect what matters most,” said Principal Matt DeFendis.

D&D is also third-generation family business that began with Anthony DiBuduo and Leonard DeFendis, Matt and Mike’s father. The award for D&D recognizes their roots, celebrates their achievements and embraces the promise of the future. It reflects their family’s legacy and enduring values.

“We hope to make our father proud, it fuels our drive to continuously innovate, grow, and deepen our impact within the community. Thank you for this nomination,” said Matt DeFendis.