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Congratulations to the 2025 US Best Managed Companies

Meet the winners

Best Managed Companies are private businesses that excel in meeting the needs of customers, communities, and employees. In 2025, we honor 61 private businesses for making an impact, being dedicated to excellence, and inspiring others to do the same.

The best from coast to coast

Click the dots on the map below to learn about our 2025 US honorees.
 (Green = 1 to 3 year winners. Gold = 4 to 6 year winners.)

2025 US Best Managed Companies

Scroll down for the complete list of honorees or download the PDF.

New and returning honorees

Bay State Milling Company

Bush Brothers & Company

Clune Construction

CoBank

Darley

Etnyre International

Flexcon

Graybar

Hawkins Construction Company

Heaven Hill Brands

James Avery Artisan Jewelry

Lil’ Drug Store Products

Pax8

Scoular

SNC

symplr

VHB

Gold winners (4+ year honorees)

99 Ranch Market

Advanced Technology Services, Inc.

Armstrong Transport Group

Associa

Ball Horticultural Company

Beztak

Blue Shield of California

Breakthru Beverage Group

Burns & McDonnell

Cambia Health Solutions

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Clemens Food Group

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC

(Coke Florida)

CoorsTek Inc.

Drees Homes

Eliassen Group

Griffith Foods

J.M. Huber Corporation

JE Dunn Construction Company

KENT Corporation

Kravet LLC

Laitram, LLC

Lithko Contracting

Lockton

Mediacom Communications Corporation

Niagara Bottling

Ocean Spray

Ocean State Job Lot

OnPoint Group

Pan-American Life Insurance Group

Rumpke Waste & Recycling

SanMar

Schnuck Markets, Inc.

Seminole Gaming/Hard Rock International

Servco Pacific Inc.

SMC Corporation of America

Solenis

Southwire Company, LLC

Standard Textile

Sun-Maid Growers of California

Telamon Corporation

VSP Vision™

Walbridge

Weisiger Group

What does it mean to be a Best Managed Company?

All US Best Managed Companies applicants are judged 
by an independent panel on the following criteria:

Learn more about the US Best Managed Companies program

Click on the + signs below for more information.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The US Best Managed Companies program recognizes successful private companies for how they're run, what they've achieved, the contributions they make—and the people who make it all possible.

If you're interested in applying for the 2026 program, please review the eligibility criteria below and visit our application site.

Read our 2025 press release announcement, and visit the Wall Street Journal hub.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

How does the program benefit applicants and honorees?

When you apply, you’ll receive an independent view of your business and benchmarking against 'the best' private companies. It’s more than an individual award focused on one or two benchmarks. It’s a comprehensive assessment of overall business performance.

Honoree benefits

  • Exclusive use of the US Best Managed Companies designation and logo for one year
  • National media coverage in The Wall Street Journal
  • Recognition from sponsors
  • Workforce recognition—the award celebrates efforts of the entire organization
  • Opportunities to connect with other US and global Best Managed Companies
  • Best practice sharing and benchmarking
  • Exclusive invites to events

ELIGIBILITY AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

What are the eligibility and evaluation criteria?

To be eligible to apply for this program, companies must meet the following criteria:

  • US-based private companies and portfolio companies
  • Must be headquartered in the United States
  • Must have minimum revenue of $250 million
  • In the case of a portfolio company controlled by a pension fund whose investment is managed by a US private equity firm, the pension fund must be registered in the United States

The following entities are not eligible:

  • US investment management firms, US private equity firms, US venture capital firms, and US family offices
  • US-owned public companies or income trusts with more than 50% of their shares or units traded publicly
  • Credit unions and charities
  • Government and public sector organizations
  • US subsidiaries of foreign companies

Applicants are evaluated against four criteria—strengths shared by management teams who excel amid change:

  • Strategy: Best Managed Companies have a formal methodology for strategy development, capabilities and metrics in place to execute their strategy, and clearly and consistently communicate it to all levels of the organization.
  • Execution: Best Managed Companies are highly execution-oriented, focused on productivity and innovation, and thoughtful about hiring people to execute their strategies.
  • Culture: Best Managed Companies disproportionately invest in their people by maintaining strong one-team cultures, provide holistic compensation packages, invest in training, and address leadership succession planning.
  • Governance/Financials: Best Managed Companies maintain strong reporting systems, use key metrics to measure their progress, maintain strong balance sheets, and apply the financial discipline required to execute their strategies.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE

How does the application process work and what is the timeline?

Applicants complete a short online eligibility form and, for those who qualify, the opportunity to showcase business achievements.

The 2026 US Best Managed Companies application period will open in summer of 2025. For additional information, contact the US Best Managed Companies team at usbestmanagedcompanies@deloitte.com.

JUDGES

Lynn Clarke

Lynn Clarke has three roles. She serves as an Independent Chair, Lead or Director on several privately held companies, including Vollrath Manufacturing, Basic American Foods and recently, Just Born, the PEEPs company. She is an Operating Partner for early stage companies, guiding them to profit stage and exit. And, she mentors Chairs of Vitamix and other privately-held companies to ensure they build and lead high performing boards.

Lynn is a three-time CEO and has executive/general management and strategic experience from a decade at PepsiCo. She has worked in multiple industries including: consumer packaged goods, food, beverage, food service, manufacturing, e-commerce, logistics/distribution, and technology. Recently, Lynn was also interim CEO for two companies, including one she chaired. In 2022, Lynn was named The Private Company Director of the Year for the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). She is a frequent speaker and a writer on board leadership, CEO succession, Strategic Planning, Digital Marketing. Lynn was the keynote speaker at the Private Company Governance Summit as well as NACD’s Summit, The Kellogg School and many other board education events. Her writing has appeared in NACD’s Directorship Magazine, Private Director Magazine and in YPO education materials.

As a courageous independent director, Lynn’s goal is to advise companies on how to drive fast, profitable growth, consistently incorporating culture to ensure customer and employee loyalty. Lynn helps guide company leadership to build a deep understanding of consumer needs and meet those needs better than all competitors to achieve rapid success. Her goal as a board member is to help to create high growth companies and high performing boards.

Jared DiPalma

CFO, Dow Jones

Jared DiPalma is chief financial officer of Dow Jones. Previously, he was chief financial officer of the NBCUniversal News Group in 2013 where he led a global finance team that oversaw NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC. The News Group is the most-watched news organization in the country and the number one digital news organization in the U.S. During his tenure, the business diversified and expanded their revenue through investments in digital publishing, streaming, commerce and global collaboration with Sky News. Prior to this, he served as CFO of an entertainment division of NBCUniversal including networks Bravo & Oxygen, Telemundo Media and Fandango. He began his career at GE Capital and advanced to the highest levels of GE’s audit & internal consulting program. DiPalma is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross where he majored in economics.

Bob Rosone

Bob Rosone is a recently retired senior managing director from Deloitte LLP. He has over 40 years of experience in marketing, business development, and creating new business channels domestically and globally. In his last assignment, Bob led the Deloitte Private program office which focused on expanding Deloitte’s services to private companies. He has extensive experience coaching c-suite executives and working with leadership teams in the areas of strategy, execution, culture, governance and financial performance through Deloitte’s Best Managed Companies program, which he launched in the US. Prior to his most recent role, Bob served as chief of staff for Deloitte’s chairman of the board and has held numerous leadership positions since joining the organization in 1998.

Bob’s governance experience includes Spring House (a women’s shelter), Affordable Housing Alliance, Pro Mujer (a microfinance and women’s empowerment organization serving over 300,000 women in 23 countries in Latin America), and United Way of Monmouth & Ocean Counties (Chairman, five years). He earned a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from Fordham University.

Don Yee

Board Chair, Aerometals; Independent Director, Lundberg Family Farms & the FAT Group of Companies

Don has previously also served as an independent board director for numerous private companies, including Blue Diamond (recognized as a Private Company Board of the Year), where he served as Audit Committee Chair and was instrumental on the CEO/board director search and executive compensation committees. He is a recognized advisor on private company board excellence and in scaling private companies with profitable growth strategies.

Don has also been the CEO of private businesses and has led several to multi-billion dollar levels. He was also a Managing Partner at EY Consulting with domestic and global companies on strategy, organization, performance management and business transformations.  Don has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow. 

Deloitte Private delivers audit & assurance, tax, consulting, and risk & financial advisory services tailored for family businesses, family offices, and high net worth individuals; privately-owned enterprises; private equity investors and their portfolio companies; and venture-backed companies. Our team works to customize our service capabilities to each client's specific needs, size, and ownership structure. Our collaborative approach brings the full breadth of our technical and industry capabilities, along with access to the resources of a global network. As clients expand their global footprint, our scale helps efficiently meet their needs with local resources around the world.

The most ambitious people in the world read The Wall Street Journal. Winner of 38 Pulitzer Prizes for outstanding journalism, the Journal includes coverage of US and world news, politics, arts, culture, lifestyle, sports, health, and more. It's a critical resource of curated content in print, online, and mobile apps, complete with breaking news streams, interactive features, video, online columns, and blogs. Published by Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal has been a trusted name since 1889 for unparalleled analysis and unique reporting informing decisions that drive the world forward.

The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.

The application period for 2026 US Best Managed Companies will open summer 2025.

The US Best Managed Companies Program is sponsored by

The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.