BEST INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER
Road Runner blows past the competition this year to win its first Gold. Aggressive marketing and its much in demand high speed online service has made Road Runner, an affiliate of Time Warner cable, the favorite of Ingram's readers. The international powerhouse America Online takes the Silver while CommuniTech.Net and Earthlink share the Bronze.

BEST COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN
CDFM², under the leadership of Jim Calcara, Sue Mosby and Marvin Manlove wins Golds as easily as it does clients. These include DST, American Century, MU and Butler Manufacturing. This downtown firm attributes its success to the quality of both its design and its client service. Gould Evans Goodman adds a Silver here to its Bronze for architecture. BNIM wins the Bronze.

BEST CHILD CARE
The Overland Park-based La Petite Academy increased its revenue by nearly a third in 2000 and easily secured still another Gold. La Petite now has more than 700 employees in Kansas City alone and 13,000 worldwide. Founded more than 30 years ago, La Petite has child care centers in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The Francis Development Center moves up from its Bronze posting last year to win this year's Silver.

BEST AIRLINE
The Milwaukee-based Midwest Express walks away with the Gold one more time. The airline promises "the best care in the air" and, if Ingram's readers are a good judge, comes through on its promise. Travelers appreciate the real meals and the extra-wide leather seats. The airline conveys the sense of flying first class at coach prices. Southwest Airlines wins the Silver this year, despite its economy status. One third of all travelers out of KCI fly Southwest on its 78 daily flights. American Airlines wins the Bronze even before the effects of its TWA acquisition really settle in.

BEST MEETING FACILITY
The Kansas City Marriott Downtown repeats as the winner of the Gold. With nearly 100,000 square feet of meeting space in the hotel itself as well an underground link to Bartle and the Music Hall, Marriott rules the convention business. The Hyatt Regency - Crown Center may have less meeting space than the Marriott, but with the addition of Crown Center's 54,000 sq. ft. exhibit space, it offers great choices to an appreciated hotel. It wins the Silver. The year-old Ritz Charles in south Overland Park wins the Bronze this year. Whether it's in the cuisine or the service, this special event and conference facility emphasizes luxury.

BEST EMPLOYER
Hallmark Cards was winning the Gold in this category even before there was a category. For all the volatility of the greeting-card market, it's hard to nudge an ill word out of a Hallmark employee. They speak of excellent benefits, a creative work environment, and a nurturing sense of security, to name a few. Things have settled down at Sprint after last year's proposed merger with WorldCom fell through. Employees are still trying to find their way around the company's epic new Overland Park campus, but they are beginning to feel comfortable enough about their future to vote Sprint a Silver. DST Systems, known for its leadership in attracting workers to the west side of downtown KC, and American Century Companies, also recognized by Working Mother and Fortune magazine as a great place to work, share the Bronze.

BEST STAFFING COMPANY
The Gold here goes to the Kansas City office of Accountemps. With an office downtown and a branch in Overland Park, Accountemps/Robert Half provides top quality employees to its clients on a temporary, temp to perm, and permanent basis. BesTemps breaks into the Best Of this time to win the Silver. With its emphasis on computer programmers and IT personnel, as well as legal and accounting assistance, Grafton Staffing Companies returns this year to win the Bronze.

BEST PUBLIC RELATIONS
Fleishman-Hillard owns the Gold in this category. Its Kansas City office, which opened in 1977, ranks fourth among the company's 77 worldwide offices in revenues. That is no small feat as the St. Louis-based agency is the world's highest-grossing public relations firm with $342.8 million in 2000 worldwide revenues. The agency serves more than 5,000 clients throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and South Africa. The home-grown Parris Communications repeats as the Silver winner. Blades & Associates breaks into the Best Of with a Bronze.

BEST ENGINEERING FIRM
Black & Veatch edges out Burns & McDonnell for the Gold. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch is today a $2.4 billion engineering and construction company. While still headquartered in Kansas City, the employee-owned firm works on every continent with a staff of 9,000 professionals that span all career disciplines including mechanical, civil, electrical, and structural engineering, as well as construction, planning, and finance. Burns & McDonnell, the Silver winner, had been in business here in Kansas City for seventeen years when Black & Veatch first opened its doors. From its distinguished headquarters on Ward Parkway, "Burns & Mac" does business all over the world. Recently, it won the Engineering Excellence Award from the American Consulting Engineering Council. HNTB captures the Bronze in the best of engineering to complement its Gold for best architecture.

BEST AUTO DEALER—DOMESTIC
Located at 77th and Metcalf in Overland Park, and now 78 years in business, Bob Sight Lincoln Mercury repeats as the winner of this year's Gold. Since the beginning, customer satisfaction and quality service have been the hallmarks of this third-generation dealership. A newcomer to the Best Of, Blue Springs Ford in—where else—Blue Springs wins the Silver. The Wolfe Automotive Group, commonly known as Jay Wolfe, sells just about every make of car at its south Kansas City location and repeats as the winner of the Bronze.

BEST AUTO DEALER—FOREIGN
Aristocrat Motor Company hosted last year's Ingram's Best Of reception and impressed enough people to repeat as this year's Gold winner. A less-certain
economy might spell trouble for a dealer in Jaguars, Porsches, Land Rover's and Mercedes, but Aristocrat has developed a strong and loyal clientele over the years and should do just fine. The Merriam-based Baron BMW sells only one make of automobile, but it sells enough and services them sufficiently well to repeat as the Silver winner. Staff takes pride in giving every customer a great overall ownership experience. Superior Lexus breaks on to this year's Best Of list to win the Bronze.

BEST MOBIL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER
The buzzword this year is m-commerce, as in mobile, and Sprint PCS is well positioned to benefit from the buzz. Sprint has pioneered the building of a nationwide 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCs network, and is rewarded once again with the Gold. Verizon moves up to garner the Silver and the newly organized and heavily marketed Cingular scores the Bronze.

BEST CORPORATE GIFTS
Hall's holds down the Gold slot once more with its convenient locations at Crown Center and the Plaza and its wide range of exceptional gifts. Best Regards of Lenexa moves up its rank in 2001 to capture the Silver. The store features a showroom and a basket mezzanine, delivers locally and ships nationwide. All Star Awards defies categorization and nabs the Bronze. This multi-generational enterprise has four locations throughout the metropolis.

BEST FLORIST
Not ones to stop and smell the flowers, the ambitious Trapp & Company on Main just east of Westport moves up from last year's Bronze to seize this year's Gold. Its convenience, creativity and responsive service make the difference. The humbly named Steve's Floral Shop in downtown Kansas City has attracted a loyal clientele and this year's Silver. The Fiddly Fig in Brookside picks up the Bronze.

BEST JEWELER
Tivol's has reigned as Kansas City's premier jeweler for 90 years, and it may take 90 more for someone to knock it out of the top spot. The Gold-winner has only two locations—Hawthorne Plaza and the Country Club Plaza—but that has proved enough. Helzberg Diamonds advances to take the Silver this year with its multiple locations throughout the metropolis. Meierotto's Midwest Jewelry, the Bronze winner, does more business per square foot than any jewelry store in America and is about to expand its floor space by 50 percent. Watch out.

BEST LIQUOR STORE
Gomer's Fine Wine & Spirits has four locations now, including Johnson County and the Northland, and a selection deep enough to impress Ingram's readers, who have rewarded it with the Gold. Berbiglia's Wine & Spirits has 13 locations throughout the city, a regional reputation for its wine selection and this year's Silver. Lukas Liquors Superstore in Overland Park has the single biggest liquor store in the metro area and the Bronze.

BEST OFFICE EQUIPMENT DEALER
With its multiple locations throughout the metropolitan area and its accessible prices, Office Depot moves up one position to win this year's Gold. Hotz, which seems to reside permanently on Best of list, is in the Silver slot. Though 65 years old, this downtown firm has taken the lead in transitioning its offices into digital technology through connectivity. IKON Office Solutions enters Ingram's honors for the first time and wins the Bronze. Its Kansas City office, one of a thousand nation-wide,offers imaging and digital networking, outsourcing, facilities management, and systems integration along with technical education.

BEST OFFICE INTERIORS
The company may have been bought out by Corporate Express, but Rainen Business Interiors' fans know enough to award the enterprise with a Gold once more. For thirty years the company has been dedicating itself to superior customer service, and its customers have obviously noticed. Contract Furnishings Inc., located on Main Street in midtown Kansas City, repeats as the Silver winner. The firm sells new and used, rents, and buys used furniture as well. Scott Rice Office Works, with outlets in Lenexa and North Kansas City, also repeats with the Bronze.

BEST OFFICE SUPPLY
OfficeMax scores again as the winner of the Gold. With 11 stores all over the metropolitan area, the company sells more than 8,000 products at deeply discounted prices. Silver goes to its metropolitan wide rival, Office Depot, which has five stores, three of them in Johnson County. Kross Office Outfitters, a 50-plus-year-old firm in downtown Kansas City, Kan., repeats as the winner of the Bronze.

BEST WOMEN'S APPAREL
Nordstrom knows something about gold. The firm got its start a century ago when John Nordstrom opened a shoe store in Seattle with the stake he made in the Klondike. The Kansas City store, located in Oak Park Mall, has a near lock on the Gold in this category. Saks Fifth Avenue, with locations on the Plaza and in Olathe, debuts on the list in the Silver slot. Talbot's nabs the Bronze.

BEST MEN'S APPAREL
Don't be disheartened by those moving signs. Gold-winner Jack Henry is shifting locations, but it is not leaving the Country Club Plaza, its home since forever. Mark Shale has been on the Plaza now for eight years and has won enough fans to net the Silver, up a notch from last year. Mark Shale's secret is tailoring its clothing selection to meet the business and social needs of its customers. Hall's, another Kansas City institution, with locations on the Plaza and in Crown Center, wins the Bronze.