Last night, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce celebrated the 34th Annual Arlington Best Business Awards at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City-Washington, D.C., in a hybrid format that allowed attendees to join in person and virtually. The Best Business Awards are presented to area businesses that consistently deliver exceptional quality of service to their customers, are industry leaders or offer a unique approach to delivery of goods or services, achieve significant growth or stability over the lifetime of their business, display an interest and concern for the success of the Arlington community, and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The 2020 Best Business Award winners are:
- Design Powers – 2020 Home-Based Business of the Year
- Arlington Strategy, TriVistaUSA Design + Build – 2020 Service Small Businesses of the Year
- Casual Adventure – 2020 Retail Small Business of the Year
- DTS – 2020 Technology Small Business of the Year
- Arlington Free Clinic – 2020 Nonprofit of the Year
- AT&T, Virginia Hospital Center – 2020 Large Businesses of the Year
“This year’s winners provide exceptional value to their clients as well as to the greater community,” said Chamber President & CEO Kate Bates. “We are proud to present this year’s winners with these well-deserved awards and thank them for their continued investment in Arlington.”
Following the presentation of these awards, the Chamber inducted Erik Gutshall (1970-2020) into the Arlington Business Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors men and women with a connection to Arlington County who have demonstrated a long record of successful management, expertise, and business skills, along with notable achievements, and exceptional civic and community involvement.
Erik Gutshall was the owner of Clarendon Home Services, a small business which he founded in 2008 in Arlington after recognizing that many homeowners didn’t have adequate time to care for their homes. Upon receiving a diagnosis of a brain tumor, Erik lost his short but fierce battle on April 16, 2020. Erik leaves behind his wife, Renee, and their three children in the Clarendon neighborhood.
Upon accepting the award for her late husband, Renee Gutshall said she felt “very honored.” She went on to talk about Erik’s mission for the Arlington small business community and noted that this lifetime achievement honors the contributions of both their family and the Clarendon Home Services family.