A downtown Grants Pass software company that began as a self-funded startup is drawing national attention after earning multiple top honors in one of the country’s most competitive business awards programs. Rentec Direct, along with its founder and chief executive officer Nathan Miller, has been recognized in the 2026 American Business Awards with three Stevie Awards, including Gold for Company of the Year, Gold for Best Entrepreneur, and Bronze for Customer Service Department of the Year.
The recognition places a Southern Oregon business among a field of more than 3,700 nominations submitted this year from organizations across the United States, spanning industries from technology to manufacturing and finance. Winners were selected through a judging process involving more than 230 professionals worldwide, reflecting a broad evaluation of performance, innovation, and organizational impact.
For Grants Pass, the achievement highlights a company that has quietly built a national presence while remaining headquartered in a smaller regional market not traditionally associated with the technology sector. Founded in 2007, Rentec Direct has grown into a property management software provider serving more than 400,000 users across all 50 states, along with international clients.
The company’s growth has been entirely self-funded, a distinction that sets it apart in an industry where venture capital backing is often considered a prerequisite for scaling. Instead, Rentec Direct has expanded through organic development, focusing on product improvements and customer service as its primary drivers of growth.
Nathan Miller said the awards reflect a long-term approach centered on customer needs and consistent development. “These awards are especially meaningful because it reflects what we’ve built from right here in Southern Oregon,” Miller said. “Our success comes from solving real problems for our customers—listening closely, building thoughtfully and earning trust through service.”
That philosophy has shaped the company’s trajectory over nearly two decades, positioning it as a competitive player in the real estate technology sector while maintaining its operational base in Grants Pass. The platform offers a range of services tailored to landlords and property managers, including online rent payment systems, tenant screening, accounting tools, mobile accessibility, and vacancy listing distribution.
Industry recognition for Rentec Direct has been consistent in recent years. The company has now received Stevie Awards for nine consecutive years, signaling sustained performance in a program widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier business competitions. In addition to its most recent honors, Rentec Direct has also been listed multiple times on the Inc. 5000 ranking of fastest-growing private companies and named among the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Top 100 Small Businesses.
Officials with the American Business Awards noted that this year’s nominees reflected a highly competitive and evolving business environment. Stevie Awards president Maggie Miller stated that organizations across the country continue to demonstrate strong innovation and adaptability, with companies finding new ways to expand operations, improve services, and meet changing market demands.
The awards themselves are part of a broader Stevie Awards program that includes competitions spanning multiple regions and industries worldwide. Collectively, the programs receive more than 12,000 entries annually from organizations in over 70 nations, recognizing achievements in leadership, workplace performance, and customer service.
For Rentec Direct, the latest recognition reinforces its standing within the real estate software market while also underscoring the potential for technology companies to develop outside traditional urban tech centers. Its continued expansion from Southern Oregon reflects a business model that prioritizes independence and long-term sustainability over rapid, investment-driven growth.
The company’s presence in Grants Pass also contributes to the region’s evolving economic profile, where small and mid-sized businesses increasingly play a role in diversifying the local economy beyond its historical reliance on resource-based industries.
Winners of the 2026 American Business Awards are scheduled to be formally recognized at a gala event in New York City in June, where companies from across the nation will gather to mark this year’s achievements.
As Rentec Direct prepares to accept its latest awards, the company’s trajectory offers a case study in steady expansion built on consistent service delivery and customer engagement, demonstrating how a locally rooted business can compete and succeed on a national stage.