2010 Garner-Clayton Readers' Choice Awards: Services

Written by Tara Croft
Photographed By Jonathan Fredin

A new hairstyle and a relaxing massage are welcome luxuries when Garner and Clayton residents want to unwind. A root canal or a new transmission might be less enjoyable, but when needed, the area has top-notch professionals who make sure customers leave with a smile.

Readers’ first choice for keeping those smiles clean and white is Best Dentist Dr. Michael Riccobene, of Riccobene & Associates. Dr. Riccobene opened his first practice in Selma in 2000.

“Ten years ago we were one office and now we’re five offices,” he noted, with Garner and Clayton sites added as his reputation grew.

Ultimately, he believes a focus on customer service and friendly staff are what led readers to choose him. Extensive dental offerings, from Lumineers to Invisalign to Botox administration, also put him at the forefront of dentistry.

To get their ’dos done, readers turn to Bent Tree Hair Studio, voted Best Hair Salon. Bent Tree opened 10 years ago, and according to owner Nora Lynne Cates, “This is a great anniversary gift.”

Friendly service from highly trained staff is standard at the salon.

Hair color is the salon’s specialty, but services range from basic cuts to facial waxing and makeup application.

Rex Wellness Center garnered kudos as the Best Spa from those who enjoy its range of steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, heated pool and massage therapy offerings. Although minus traditional spa services like skin care and manicures, it’s a prime place to seek relaxation, and Wellness Center members enjoy a discount on massage, from trigger point to deep tissue.

Rex was also named Best Fitness Center.

Service with a smile: Readers rewarded their favorite service providers with votes galore! Winners in the Services category are, clockwise from top center, Best Eye Doctor-Dr. Dean Strickland, Clayton Eye Clinic; Best Veterinarian-Dr. Dave Huff, Plantation Animal Hospital; Best Home Builder/Developer-Kirkwood Builders, represented by President Art Kirkwood; Best Hair Salon-Bent Tree Hair Studio, represented by Assistant Manager Brittany Joyner;  Best Medical Doctor-Dr. Joan Meehan, Clayton Medical Associates; Best Mechanic Shop-Cottman Transmission, represented by owner Ralph Smith; Best Spa-Rex Wellness Center, represented by Wellness Coordinator Max Gerber; and Best Dentist-Dr. Michael Riccobene, Riccobene & Associates, represented by the practice’s Dr. Brian McNeely. 
 

Lifelong Johnston County resident Dr. Dean Strickland, who has been practicing in Clayton for 28 years, weighs in as Best Eye Doctor. He aims to provide a relaxed atmosphere at Clayton Eye Clinic.

“I feel our office provides a friendly, needs-based approach to providing eye care that has made us partly responsible for our success,” he said.

Dr. Strickland is active in civic groups, and is a former Clayton Chamber Citizen of the Year.
Having opened Clayton Medical Associates in 1988, Dr. Joan Meehan is well rooted in town as the Best Medical Doctor. Her practice strives to offer first-class medical care with a small-town feel, and serves everyone from infants to the elderly. She emphasizes preventative medicine to help residents stay as healthy as possible.

To keep the family car equally healthy, readers trust Best Mechanic Shop Cottman Transmission. All the shop’s full-time employees have worked more than seven of the 11 years Cottman has been in business, which owner Ralph Smith believes reflects their commitment to the community.

That commitment shows at a managerial level too: Cottman donates resources to local schools, chambers and civic projects.

“I am proud to say that we consistently win competitions with other Cottman centers, even centers in larger markets, in the areas of revenue, quality and in the percentage of referral work done,” Smith said.

Dr. Dave Huff appeals to those with furry family members, as Best Veterinarian. He opened Plantation Animal Hospital in 2003, and has an interest in small animal surgery, has PennHip radiograph certification and also provides chiropractic care.

“I am very thankful to all those that voted, and while I do try very hard to offer clients an exceptional value and treat their pets as my own, without the wonderful staff I have been blessed with, that effort would be drastically diminished,” he said. “We have grown here in Clayton by word of mouth, and I like to think people can come to us and see why their neighbor recommended us.”

Helping Garner/Clayton residents build their dreams for the past seven years is Best Home Builder/Developer Kirkwood Builders. Husband and wife team Art and Teresa Kirkwood have completed 65 to 70 homes in that span, with six projects currently under way all valued at more than $500,000. The company primarily works in new construction but also does remodel work. Art says they try to incorporate more luxury features than other homes in the same price point, to give people what they really want: “When you walk in them, you feel like home.”