The winners are in, with dozens of businesses and their employees recognized as part of the 2026 Sampson Independent Readers Choice Awards, being announced today in a special magazine insert.
Just short of 7,000 ballots were cast in the decades-old Readers Choice Awards for 2026, with ELC Real Estate chosen as this year’s Best Business in Sampson County. Voters also offered accolades to dozens of other new and long-time businesses in nearly 100 categories, with ballots cast during a two-week period that ended July 2.
SI Publisher Sherry Matthews said she was pleased with both the participation and the number of new businesses that voters tipped their hat to this year through the annual contest.
“I think, at least in the 30 or so years I’ve been here, we had the most new individuals and businesses chosen than in any other year. It’s always refreshing when those voting choose to honor newcomers as well as showing their support to long-time local businesses who make such an impact on our community,” Matthews said.
This was ELC Real Estate’s first win in the Best Business in Sampson County category, one started four years ago, accolades that have also gone to N2N Pressure Washing, The Reedy Mark and Sutton Washing.
The local real estate company, owned by Georgina Zeng, has been a multi-year winner in the Best Real Estate and Best Real Estate Agency categories, both of which her company won again this year, but added top honors in at least two other categories in 2026.
Sessoms Jewelry and owners Gary Wayne and Deborah Hall took home the Best Jewelry Store accolade again this year, marking over 35 years of consistently taking home the first place honor.
The Halls said they owed it all to a great community whose members have always supported the downtown business.
“Winning the Readers Choice honor means the world to us,” attested Deborah Hall, who owns the store along with husband Gary Wayne.
“And to win it year after year, well it’s very humbling. It tells us that people trust us with some of their greatest treasures, particularly family heirlooms, and know that we are always going to take the very best care of them.”
Hall’s parents, Minson and Lucille Sessoms, opened the store in November 1967, with Dr. Bill Peak Sessoms’ first customer. “Daddy always told the story of seeing Dr. Peak walking down the street the day they opened, and daddy running out the door and telling him to come in and shop with him. Dr. Peak and his wife remained loyal customers all their lives,” Hall recalled.
Customers, she said, were very loyal to Sessoms and the Halls, in turn, have tried to be loyal to their customers and to the community at large.
“I think they realize how much we care … that’s one of the reasons they keep coming back. It’s one of the reasons we win this award every year. I’m grateful for the support,” Hall said.
Among the new winners were Castro Creations, taking home first place in the Best Contractor category, a win that Fernando Lizardo and his mom, Yolani Castro, said was both humbling and exciting.
“”Honestly, it’s an amazing feeling, and I’m truly humbled,” Castro said. “Being recognized as the best contractor means so much because it tells me that the hard work, dedication, and care we put into every project is making a difference.”
Her son concurred. “For us, it has never just been about construction; it’s about building trust, creating relationships, and treating every home as if it were our own. Seeing that our community appreciates that is something we’ll never take for granted,” Lizardo interjected.
“I’m incredibly thankful to everyone who has trusted us with their homes, supported our business, and believed in what we do. This recognition isn’t just mine; it belongs to our entire team, our families, and every client who has allowed us to be a part of their home. We’re truly grateful, and we’ll continue working every day to provide the quality and service our community deserves,” Castrol said.
And to their Spanish-speaking friends, they said, “Sinceramente, es una sensación maravillosa y me siento profundamente honrado. Ser reconocido como el mejor contratista significa muchísimo para mí, ya que me demuestra que el trabajo duro, la dedicación y el esmero que ponemos en cada proyecto realmente marcan la diferencia. Para nosotros, nunca se ha tratado solo de construcción; se trata de generar confianza, crear relaciones y tratar cada hogar como si fuera el nuestro. Ver que nuestra comunidad valora esto es algo que nunca daré por sentado. Estoy inmensamente agradecido con todos aquellos que han confiado en nosotros para sus hogares, han apoyado nuestro negocio y han creído en nuestra labor. Este reconocimiento no es solo mío; pertenece a todo nuestro equipo, a nuestras familias y a cada cliente que nos ha permitido formar parte de su hogar. Estamos profundamente agradecidos y seguiremos trabajando cada día para ofrecer la calidad y el servicio que nuestra comunidad merece.”
This year, Matthews said, some businesses worked hard to get votes, using their social media pages to urge their supporters to go online and vote, with some including QR codes with links to the paper’s website and the Readers Choice voting page.
“It’s always more fun when businesses make this a competition of sorts, getting knee-deep in reaching out to customers and urging them to cast a vote. It’s a great way to promote their businesses and get our readers and web browsers interested in visiting their stores to see what they offer.”
The SI publisher said the 50-plus-year-old Readers Choice Awards, often referred to as the Best of the Best in Sampson, have been a long-time tradition in Sampson County, something readers have enjoyed as well as business owners and employees.
“I remember filling out a ballot with my mom when she was a subscriber to the paper. We actually made it a family affair. It was a lot of fun. Of course, that was back before the internet, and we would have to sit down with the paper ballot and hand-write all the people we thought had earned the right to be one of the paper’s top choices in the Best of the Best,” Matthews recalled.
The newspaper stopped the printed ballot a couple of years back, opting instead to move to a completely online voting process that allowed a third-party vendor to handle the contest and count the ballots, all in an effort, Matthews said, to be as fair as possible.
“We have never given voters options, only categories, which I think makes the process that much more special. Those who cast a ballot have to actually write in the business or individual of their choice, meaning they had to think of you and your service and then jot your name down. It’s not a multiple choice process for that very reason,” the publisher added.
Hall said that process has, indeed, made getting the honor even more special. “For our customers to take the time to actually sit down and vote for us, well, that really is special. We are thankful for them.”
Matthews offered her congratulations to each the top three finishers in each category, and praised all the local businesses as winners whether their name made the top three or not.
“Local businesses do so much for our community. They are winners every time they open their doors. Their support of our community’s fund-raisings and functions, the services they offer and their willingness to continue to operate strong, solid businesses in the face of multiple challenges every day makes them number one in my book every single day. We should support them all and, at the same time, thank them all for making Clinton and Sampson County the home for their shops.”
Matthews also thanked all those who took the time to cast their ballots in the Readers Choice Awards, noting their participation makes it possible to continue a long-established tradition in the county.
“Every year we want more and more people to participate. It’s a great way to show appreciation to businesses for what they do all year long, a way to say how much we like what they do. It also shows support for another small, local business, our newspaper,” Matthews said, “and we really appreciate every person who takes part in our contest and who reads our paper.