For over three decades, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce has been recognizing Arlington’s businesses that deliver exceptional quality of service to their customers, are industry leaders, or offer a unique approach to delivery of goods and services. Last week’s 33rd Annual Arlington Best Business Awards was no exception, celebrating area businesses that go above and beyond serving their clients to make Arlington a great place to work and live.
The Arlington Best Business Awards name a single winning business in just six categories and this year, Columbia Pike-based businesses took home awards in three of those six categories:
2019 Home-Based Business of the Year — Dalton Digital
2019 Service Small Business of the Year — Pentagon Mixed Martial Arts, LLC
2019 Large Business of the Year — Arlington Community Federal Credit Union
Each year, Chamber members are asked to nominate worthy businesses and a committee comprised of past award winners rates each nominee on a variety of criteria, including growth, sustainability, customer satisfaction, commitment to the community and more. Nominees also complete a questionnaire from the Chamber assessing their performance on the award criteria.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to see Columbia Pike businesses getting the recognition they so rightly deserve for their dedication and hard work serving the diverse population of the Pike, Arlington County, and beyond,” said Kim Klingler, Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization.
The Columbia Pike corridor is home to hundreds of small, locally-owned businesses and one of the most diverse populations in the Washington Metropolitan area, earning it the slogan ‘the world in a zip code.’ Meeting the needs of such a community often presents significant hurdles for small businesses, but this year’s winners have risen to the challenge.
Justin Gooderham. Photo Courtesy of Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
Dalton Digital was founded by Justin Gooderham to help businesses and clients exceed their online marketing goals. Justin focuses on user-friendly web design, data and insights, and digital marketing best practices to drive online growth for small businesses. Dalton Digital claimed this year’s ‘Home-Based Business of the Year’ award due to its tremendous early success and exceptional rate of member satisfaction. In just one year of business, they have served over 50 clients, generating six figures in revenue.
“It’s amazing to win a Best Business Award for Arlington! Being a native Arlingtonian and a new business owner makes it especially rewarding. I’m so grateful to the Chamber and all of the other businesses in Arlington for their support. I grew up on the Pike, so I’ve seen a lot of change over the years, all for the better. Having a business here to give and get support from the local community is a fantastic feeling. I hope to see more businesses on or around the Pike as this is a great neighborhood.”
– Justin Gooderham, Founder
Vivek Nakarmi and Diana Nakarmi. Photo Courtesy of Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
Pentagon Mixed Martial Arts is a world class mixed martial arts training center on Edgewood Street offering group classes and personal training in Muay Thai (Kickboxing/Thai Boxing), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Women’s Fitness Kickboxing, Boot Camp, and Kids’ MMA. Pentagon MMA was selected as this year’s ‘Service Small Business of the Year’ for its vast contribution to the community. They host numerous fundraisers, clothing drives, community seminars and anti-bullying campaigns in the schools. They also provide classes for students recovering from injuries, veterans suffering from PTSD, and self-defense classes whose proceeds benefit local women’s organizations.
“This award means the world to us. It is an incredible achievement on both a personal and professional level, and a great opportunity to recognize the hard work of our very special team. We are firm believers that you are only as great as your community and those around you. Giving back to our local community has been one of the pillars of our foundation from day one, when we began to hold fundraisers for non-profit organizations and worked closely with local schools and PTAs. We are really blessed to be surrounded by such a dynamic, involved, caring, and interesting community.”
– Diana Nakarmi, Vice President & General Counsel
Hannah Dannenfelser, Daniel Murray, Chris Sundlof, Bill Maher, Amy Thomas, Jim Wilmot. Photo Courtesy of Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
The Arlington Community Federal Credit Union was founded in 1952 with a passion for empowering the financial lives of its members and giving back to the local community. ACFCU is committed to providing remarkable service, while continuing to offer a full array of financial products and services to meet its members’ needs at every stage of life. ACFCU took home the ‘Large Business of the Year’ award for its customer satisfaction. Surveys consistently find a 93% satisfaction rating among its members and Sun Gazette and Arlington Magazine readers ranked ACFCU as “Best Bank” in 2017 and 2019 and as “Best Community Bank” in 2016/17 and 2018/19.
“We are deeply honored to receive this award. We established our corporate headquarters on Columbia Pike several years ago, recognizing that this would be a wonderful place to further expand our mission of working with the businesses and residents of Arlington, to empower their financial and economic dreams. As a business on the Pike, we were attracted to the Pike’s vibrancy, diversity and sense of community. We participate in many of the wonderful cultural events and festivals and frequently partner with local businesses and nonprofits. And we love interacting with our Pike neighbors. Thank you to the members of the Chamber selection committee for recognizing our passion for Arlington, and thank you to our Pike friends for supporting your credit union!”
– Karen Rosales, President & CEO
The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) is proud to represent the Pike and the exceptional businesses we have here. CPRO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition of businesses, civic associations, property owners, and the Arlington County Government with a mission to champion and connect business and community along Columbia Pike — Arlington’s oldest and newest main street, where authentic diverse neighborhoods connect to the world. For more information visit www.columbia-pike.org