The N.C. Technology Association has announced the winners of this year's NCTA 21 Awards, which celebrate innovation and excellence in technology. SAS was named software company of the year; GlaxoSmithKline was pharmaceutical company of the year; RF Micro Devices was electronics company of the year; Overture Networks was communications company of the year; and LED Lighting Fixtures was consumer technology company of the year. Other winners included: Yap Inc., ChannelAdvisor, Epic Games, Queen Associates, SciQuest, InnerPulse and WinstonNet.

Horne Moving Systems in Raleigh was recognized with a President's Club Award, $1 million level, which honors agents who generated at least $1 million in sales for United Van Lines during the past year. McCollister's Transportation Group in Morrisville won the President's Club Award and the Impact Award, which recognizes agents who have a positive effect on cargo claims reduction and prevention.

Brian McDonald of Zencos Consulting in Cary earned the Project Management Professional credential.

BJAC, an architectural design firm in Raleigh, has been awarded the bronze citation in the American School & University Magazine's 17th annual Educational Interiors Showcase for its work on the UNC- Chapel Hill School of Medicine's Medical Sciences Research building.

All American Moving Services in Raleigh was honored at Mayflower Transit's 2007 Convention in Hollywood, Fla., for its achievements during 2006 with the Million Dollar Club Award, $3 million level, Impact Award and Customer Service Award. Crown Moving Co. in Raleigh received the Million Dollar Club Award, $3 million level.

Southern Industrial Constructors and its subsidiary, Southern Crane, won first place in the 2006 Summit awards given by the CarolinasAGC, the statewide affiliate of Associated General Contractors of America. The companies won the award in the subcontractor/specialty division for working more than 90,000 hours without a lost-time incident.

Flo Moses and Jason Harloff, owners of Sports & More Physical Therapy in North Raleigh and Cary, were recognized by the N.C. Physical Therapy Association for leadership in their profession. Moses was awarded the 2007 Outstanding Physical Therapist Award and Harloff the 2007 Excellence in Clinical Practice Award.

Kathy Higgins, president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, and Liliana Berman, Wake County family nurse practitioner, were honored with the 2007 John Rex Endowment Hands of Health Award. The endowment is contributing $10,000 to each recipient's charity of choice.

Geo Raper & Son established a foundation award to celebrate 35 years of business. Rick Skinner, Nate Ralph and Ken Thompson received the award, which recognizes those who have exemplified the principles of integrity, efficiency and customer satisfaction.

FreemanWhite, an architectural, engineering, design and consulting services firm for health-care organizations, received the Citation of Merit Award from Healthcare Design magazine for Pitt County Memorial Hospital's Pediatric Palliative Care Unit in Greenville. FreemanWhite has offices in Raleigh.

Bill Plemmons RV World which has locations in Rural Hall and Raleigh, was named Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association 2007 Top Quality Dealer of the Year at the association's annual meeting.

Site Selection magazine named North Carolina the state with the top business climate for 2007.

The Forest at Duke, a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community in Durham, has been awarded a five-year term of accreditation from the continuing care accreditation panel of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

The Eastern North Carolina chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society hosted its 2007 Denim & Diamonds Dinner of Champions, raising $140,000 for research. Dr. Silva Markovic-Plese of UNC's Neuroimmunology Multiple Sclerosis Center received the 2007 Distinguished Clinician Award. Dr. Simon Gregory of the Center for Human Genetics at Duke University received the Cutting Edge Research Award. Biogen Idec received the MS Drug Development Award.

Two Raleigh employees of McDonald's restaurants, Dominic Drake, who works at the 6250 Capitol Blvd. restaurant, and Gema Carballo, who works at the 8011 Brier Creek Parkway restaurant, were named McDonald's Employee Ambassadors. Ambassadors are chosen for their outstanding qualities and dedication to customers and co-workers.

Red Kahlek and Katherine Peterson of Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston received the national 2007 Best in the Business Award from Quality Service Certified.

The late Thomas C. Ellis and E. Victor Maafo, longtime credit union advocates and Durham Advisory Board members, were honored for their dedication and commitment to the credit union movement during the State Employees Credit Union's annual meeting.

Guy Harvey, Pam Michael and Steve Weitnauer in the Raleigh office of Staubach Co., won Top Achievers awards from the Staubach Co., a real estate advisory firm. Bill Sandridge, senior vice president in the Raleigh office, won a Top Gun Award, which is given to those in the top 20 percent of the firm's top achievers.