Businesses in Northwest Indiana have been quite busy since our last issue. Here's a bit of what they've been up to.
ACCOUNTING
Erin Heldstab has been named marketing director for the South Bend accounting firm of Kruggel, Lawton & Company LLC. She is responsible for developing and overseeing core marketing communications for the firm. … The CPA firm of Kruggel, Lawton & Company LLC has announced that five of its professionals have been awarded the Chartered Global Management Accountant designation. They are Rita Hochstedler, Leslie Hoeppner, Rita Miller, Kevin Zink and Margene Zink. … Crowe Horwath LLP has been named by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns as a strategic partner. Crowe, based in South Bend, is the ninth largest public accounting and consulting firm in the U.S. … Leslie Hoeppner has been promoted to manager with the South Bend accounting firm of Kruggel Lawton & Company. She has nine years of public accounting experience and has been with the firm since 2007. … Andy Kominowski has been promoted to manager at Kruggel, Lawton & Company. He has seven years of public accounting experience and has been with the firm since 2010. … Patrick Lee has been promoted to manager of the Elkhart office of Kruggel, Lawton & Co. He has five years of public accounting experience and has been with the firm since 2011.
BANKING
1st Source Bank celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Chairman and CEO Christopher Murphy there will be special events and giveaways throughout the year to mark the milestone. … Citizens Financial Services of Munster has been acquired by First Merchants Corp. of Muncie. The deal will be completed in 2014. The merger creates a bank with $5.4 billion in assets, making it the second largest bank based in Indiana. … 1st Source Bank has been ranked in the top 15th percentile of community banks by Seifried & Brew, a community bank risk management firm. 1st Source was selected from among banks with assets of between $100 million and $5 billion. … 1st Source Corp. has been named to the Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc., Bank Honor Roll of Superior Performers in recognition of the bank's strong performance over the past 10 years. 1st Source is one of 47 U.S. banks to be named to the list and one of only 33 banks to make the list for two consecutive years. … Gary A. Booth has been named residential mortgage loan manager at LaPorte Savings Bank. He operated his own mortgage company for several years in Michigan. … Robert M. Zborowski of Valparaiso has joined LaPorte Savings Bank as commercial lender. He has 18 years of banking experience and previously was in treasury management.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce is publishing a community guide and membership directory. The Merrillville community guide and membership directory will have information on the town and chamber members. … Sweetville, a treat shop in downtown Chesterton, is joined the Duneland Chamber of Commerce. … The St. Joseph County Chamber of commerce has announced a four-year $3.75 million economic development initiative called growSJC – Invest in Your Future. The goal is to create 2,000 new jobs and $250 million in new capital investment in the community.
CONSTRUCTION
AmeriPlex at the Port has announced a 50,000-square-foot expansion that will be home for its offices and for Silvent North America and Falk PLI. To date, AmeriPlex has 46 businesses that have 2,000 employees on 400 acres. … Matt Cain has been named a shareholder at HRP Construction, becoming only the second employee in the organization to earn such a designation. He has been with the company for 16 years. … Superior Construction Co. Inc. of Gary has been named 2013 Contractor of the Year by the Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable. Superior was named for its safety, excellence in partnering, project management, construction techniques and support for the community. … Regency Centers Corp. has begun construction on the first phase of Shops on Main in Schererville. It is a 147,851-square-foot shopping center anchored by Gordmans, Ross Dress for Less, HomeGoods and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse. … Valparaiso Building Commissioner Vicki Thrasher has been elected to the board of directors of the Indiana Association of Building Officials. She will represent the northern region of the state on the 10-member board.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Economic Development Corporation Michigan City has announced the resignation of Kevin Kieft as executive director. Kieft is leaving to accept a position at the Indiana Economic Development Corp. in its Northwest Indiana office in Crown Point. … The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission is looking for a new home when its lease expires this year. Among the three sites being considered is its current location at 6100 Southport Road in Portage, along with a site in downtown Hammond and in the Thomas Rose Industrial Park in LaPorte. … Economic Development Corporation Michigan City has embarked on a process to develop a comprehensive long-term action initiative. The project goals are to improve workforce development and education, retain and expand existing business, attract new business, integrate all community development efforts and work to make sure the efforts are sustainable.
EDUCATION
The Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana has received a grant from ArcelorMittal to help fund programs for teachers and students in East Chicago, Gary and Whiting, as well as support the center's general fundraising efforts. … Carmen Panlilio has been named associate vice president for enrollment management at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond. Most recently she was with New Jersey City University. … Purdue University Calumet has honored five employees for outstanding service to the university. They are Roy L. Hamilton of Gary, vice chancellor for educational opportunity programs; Deborah Blades of Hebron, senior career services coordinator; Laura Dorsch of St. John, school of technology administrative assistant; Ila Muller of Hammond, University Village housing clerk; and Tom Sanchez of Merrillville, physical facilities maintenance. … The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has granted approval to Purdue University North Central in Westville for its College of Engineering and Technology to offer a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. The program begins this fall. … J. Jeffrey Jones, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at Indiana University South Bend, has resigned to take a position as vice provost at the University of Central Florida. … For the second time in four years, Purdue University Calumet marketing and communication students have placed first in district competition in the National Student Advertising Competition. The contest was organized by the American Advertising Federation and sponsored by Glidden paint. Students on the team were Autumn Cueller of Crown Point, Tristen Comegys of Chesterton, Celina Lewis of Hobart, Vincent Benjamin Lopez of Hammond, and Julie Yarusinsky of Hammond. … Gregg Chenoweth has been named president of Bethel College in Mishawaka. He is Bethel's seventh president and most recently was vice president of academic affairs at Olivet Nazarene University in Chicago.
ENGINEERING
Thomas J. Gyure has been named general manager of Superior Engineering and Superior Engineering-Illinois. Both firms are part of S/TEC Group in Hammond, a business and industrial engineering firm. … Falk PLI Engineering & Surveying Inc., an engineering and surveying firm, will expand its offices by 2016, adding 34 jobs. It will soon move into a 9,000-square-foot building that's under construction at AmeriPlex at the Port.
GAMING
An $869 million deal will merge Pinnacle Entertainment with Ameristar Casinos. Pinnacle owns seven U.S. casinos and a racetrack. Ameristar has eight casinos, including one in East Chicago.
GOVERNMENT
Bruce Spires has been named town manager and director of municipal operations for Merrillville. He has been with the town for 25 years, most recently as public works director.
HEALTH CARE
Beacon Health System and The South Bend Clinic will join their operation. The South Bend Clinic has more than 90 physicians and six facilities in the Michiana area. The announcement was made by Phil Newbold, CEO of Beacon, and Jesse Hsieh, president of The South Bend Clinic. … Porter Regional Hospital has completed the redesign and expansion of its Outpatient Laboratory at Glendale Medical Center in Valparaiso. … Lawanda Jones, director of quality at Methodist Hospitals, has been nominated by the Partnership for Excellence Board of Examiners for 2013. … Jo Ann Birdzell, CEO of St. Catherine Hospital in Hammond, has been named Most Influential Woman in Healthcare in Northwest Indiana. She began her career as a nurse and since 2001 has been CEO of St. Catherine. … Franciscan Alliance has acquired HealtheACCESS Clinics LLC. HealtheACCESS has four locations in Valparaiso and Portage and offers occupational medicine, physical exams, drug and alcohol testing, lab services and wellness programs. … Alanna Hunter-Parks of St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago has been named 2013 Nursing Excellence Award winner. She was nominated based on nursing excellence, leadership, dignity, compassionate care, and stewardship. … Cynthia Heckman-Davis has been chosen as the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians as its 2013 Family Physician of the Year. She provides care at Lakeville Family Medicine, an affiliate of Memorial Medical Group in South Bend. … interLink, a data management firm that specializes in working with health care providers, has opened an office in the Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana in Merrillville. The company's health care management site, called Advocare, is for state administrators and case management professionals who support underserved populations, including people with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries. … Dr. Vinay Tumuluri has been honored by the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program and the American Diabetes Association for quality healthcare delivery. He is a physician at IU Health LaPorte Hospital. … St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart has received accreditation for its Healthy 4 Life bariatric surgery program from the Bariatric Surgery Center Network, a program of the American College of Surgeons. … Dr. Curtis Bejes of Indiana University Health LaPorte Hospital has been recognized for outstanding teaching by the Predoctoral education Division of the IU Department of Family Medicine. He was recognized for his work with third-year clerkship students.
INNOVATION
Kassie Meeks of Valparaiso has been named an Innovator of the Month by the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana for her unique music program at the Northwest Indiana Suzuki Conservatory. Part of the program is encouraging students to practice yoga as a way of relaxing before they perform.
INSURANCE
Bridget Dunn Markin has joined General Insurance Services as commercial service lines agent in the LaPorte office. … June Gorney has joined Gibson Insurance in South Bend as a claims specialist in risk management services. Previously, she worked for more than 20 years as an employee benefits coordinator and human resources generalist. … Jaimie Richmond has joined Gibson in South Bend as account manager responsible for the day-to-day service needs of clients. Previously, she was an administrator with a construction company. … Gibson Insurance of South Bend has been recognized as a Platinum Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more. … Chris Kidd has joined Gibson of South Bend as a client manager. She is responsible for determining overall risk management program goals and developing strategies to achieve the goals. … Dean Hiles has joined Gibson in South Bend as a loss prevention consultant in risk management services. … Tara Buch has been promoted by Gibson in South Bend to assistant client manager in the employee benefits practice. She joined the firm in 2012.
LEGAL
Krieg-DeVault LLP has moved its office from Schererville to 8001 Broadway, Suite 400, in Merrillville. … J. Brian Hittinger has been named executive partner for the Northwest Indiana office of Krieg-DeVault. He joined the firm in 2008 as a partner and focuses his practice in business, commercial and real estate lending, probate, tax and estate planning. … Sean Kenyon, a partner with the Merrillville law firm Hoeppner Wagner & Evans, has been awarded the Influential Woman in Law honor by the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana.
MANUFACTURING
Charles B. Tate has joined Schafer Industries in South Bend as manager of the company's Driveline Division. The division was acquired last year from Dana Holding Corp. … John D. Mengel has been named vice president and general manager at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor. He is responsible for the flat carbon steelmaking operations in Burns Harbor and finishing operations in Columbus, Ohio. … Bremen Castings, a 74-year-old foundry, has added BCI Defense as a division, to manufacture firearms. Its first product is the military-grade SQS5l5. …
MARKETING
Morse + Harris Marketing of Michigan City has received two excellence in marketing communications awards for work it did for Methodist Hospitals in Gary and Metro Recycling in Griffith. The awards were presented by Healthcare Marketing Report and the International Academy of Visual Arts.
MEDIA
James Muhammad, the Peabody Award winning Director of Radio Services for West Virginia Public Broadcasting, has been named president and CEO of Lakeshore Public Media, the umbrella organization for Lakeshore Public Television and 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore. …Lakeshore News Tonight, Northwest Indiana's only live and local television newscast, has moved to a 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscast on weeknights. Previously, there was a single newscast at 9 p.m.
PHILANTHROPY
Jeremy Miller, regional vice president of Centier Bank, has been recognized as Lake Area United Way's 2012 Volunteer of the Year. He was cited for his outstanding volunteer service on behalf of the regional community impact and fundraising. … Angie Williams has been named director of allocations for Lake Area United Way. She fills the post left with the retirement of Dave Sikes. Most recently she was executive director of the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. … Lake Area United Way has been named a 4-Star Charity by Charity Navigator, the nation's largest charity watchdog evaluator. The designation is given only to the most fiscally responsible organizations.
REAL ESTATE
Brad Toothaker, president and CEO of Bradley Co. in South Bend, and Dan Dickey, president of NAI Harding Dahm in Fort Wayne, have merged their two firms. The new company has 250 employees who manage 7 million square feet of commercial property and more than 2,300 residential units. Previously, Bradley Co., which had been operating as CBRE/Bradley, ended its affiliation with CBRE and combined its Bradley Residential Management operations with its commercial real estate business under the Bradley Co. name. … Dean Stolpe, a Valparaiso Realtor, has received the Certified Residential Specialist Designation by the Council of Residential Specialists. He is the broker/owner of Stolpe Real Estate in Valparaiso. … Grubb & Ellis/Cressy & Everett of South Bend has changed its name to Newmark Grubb Cressy & Everett. The affiliation began in 1998 when Cressy & Everett in Mishawaka partnered with Grubb & Ellis of California. Grubb & Ellis filed Chapter 11 in 2012 and was acquired by a New York financial services firm called Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. … Holladay Properties in Portage recently closed a sale on the 73,000-square-foot Ashland Building at AmeriPlex at the Port. The building will be home to MonoSol Rx. The sale was for $6.1 million.
SMALL BUSINESS/ENTREPRENEURS
Wade Brietzke of Valparaiso, owner of 27 Entertainment, has been named Indiana Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Earlier, Brietzke was named the Northwest Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year. … Kelly Schwedland has joined Elevate Ventures as entrepreneur-in-residence for the Northwest and North Central regions of Indiana. She is a senior executive, certified consultant and entrepreneur in information technology and business services. … Miller Bakery Cafe has re-opened in Gary. Owner Jack Strode and family operates several Chicago restaurants, including the Cheesecake Factory. He acquired the restaurant after it fell into foreclosure last year. … Jessica Granger is the new owner of Thode Floral and Gift in LaPorte. The business has operated in LaPorte since 1926 and Thode took over as owner after working there for 13 years. … Stephanie Crohan has been named associate designer by Marc T. Nielsen Interiors. She is a 2012 graduate of Purdue University and was an intern with the company.
TECHNOLOGY
Kevin Kirkham, the head of the electric vehicle program for Northern Indiana Public Service Co., has been named an Innovator of the Month by the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana. Kirkham is working to position NIPSCO as a leader in providing electric charging stations for electric vehicles in the region.
TOURISM
The City of Hammond and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority have formed a partnership to collect data on attendees of the annual Festival of the Lakes, a five-day festival at Wolf Lake Memorial Park in Hammond. The goal is to find out from visitors what needs to be done to improve the festival. … The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority has received three awards. The Hermes Creative Awards presented a Gold Award for the redesign of the CVA's website. The Communicator Awards recognized the web site and a poster for the 2012 Gary Air Show. … White Lodging of Merrillville and REI Real Estate Services has begun construction on a 172-room Hyatt Place Hotel in downtown Bloomington. The hotel is to open in July 2014. The seven-story hotel will have a two-level parking garage.
TRANSPORTATION
For the first three months of the shipping season, the Port of Indiana Burns Harbor is 15 percent ahead of its five-year average. Bulk commodities and project cargo is up. Also up is fertilizer, soybeans and dry bulk cargo. … Fednav Limited, the largest international maritime bulk carrier in Canada, has ordered six new vessels from Sumitomo Corp. in Japan. They will be built at Oshima Shipyard and will be used to haul cargo on the Great Lakes. … LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo has announced the addition of two environmentally friendly transit vehicles to the city's TransPorte service. The new vehicles are powered by propane, which decreases tailpipe emissions and result in fuel cost savings for taxpayers. … Tranco Industrial Services Inc. has received the Safety Recognition Award from the Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable. Tranco is based in LaPorte and provides expertise in railroad track design, construction, maintenance and emergency repairs. … The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority has dedicated its new $11.6 million Airport Road overpass in honor of World War II Tuskegee Airman and Gary resident Quentin P. Smith. The bridge will be completed this year and will allow extension of the main runway at the airport. … The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is one of eight Great Lakes ports to receive the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award for registering increased international cargo tonnage in 2012. … The St. Joseph County Airport Authority has named Tim O'Donnell as director of operations and management at South Bend Airport. He will direct and manage all operations, maintenance and safety functions. He has 20 years of experience and most recently was operations manager/airport supervisor at Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport. … CLR Auto Transport in Merrillville has been named one of the 500 Diversity Owned Businesses in the nation by DiversityBusiness.com. The company, owned by Chester LaPierre and Pat Shaw, specializes in moving new autos around the country.
News Briefs
Dage Offers New High-Def Video Camera
MICHIGAN CITY – Dage-MTI, a leading manufacturer of high sensitivity cameras for bioscience, inspection, and analysis, introduces the HD-210U, an advanced high definition (HD) video camera for microscopy, scientific and industrial applications.
The single-chip CMOS camera delivers true HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and full screen video (16:9) with smooth motion at 60 frames per second (fps). Dual DVI/HDMI and USB 2.0 outputs make it easy to set up and view superior color and vivid detail in real-time video, and simultaneously capture selected HD images to a PC for review, documentation or analysis.
Dage-MTI's proprietary “MagicApp” software is included, allowing intuitive one-left-click mouse operation for image capture, display, and instant review. The C-mount provides easy connectivity to industry-standard microscopes, adapters, and lenses. The HD image adjusts quickly to magnification or rapid scene changes with no image smear, lag, or jitter.
The HD-210U camera system is perfect for full screen viewing of live microscopy samples using DLP projectors and/or HDTV displays, matching pixel-to-pixel resolution. For added convenience, the one-button-push auto white balance function aids in high definition image analysis.
The new camera and software system offers an ideal solution for pathology and clinical imaging demonstrations for classroom settings or review boards. It can also be implemented in collaborative environments, including industrial inspection, teleconferencing, and other remote applications where megapixel, real-time HD imagery is critical.
For more information about Dage-MTI's HD-210U, visit www.dagemti.com.
Online Now: Market Research
MERRILLVILLE – Business executives in all sectors who need quantitative and qualitative research about their competition, clients and brand could benefit from an online module recently launched by a firm based in the Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana.
Saqui Research LLC launched its Getting It Focused Today program. Founder Ursula Saqui said she saw business leaders struggling to focus on a target market and trying to do something to improve the focus but not having the budget for market research.
“These businesses struggle to connect with and engage more customers, increase sales and retain current customers,” says Saqui. “The information provided in the Getting It Focused Today module lays out a roadmap for companies to follow. It tells them where to focus resources and marketing messages.”
The module includes do-it-yourself market research assignments, supplemented by instructional videos and best-in-class readings that Saqui curated or wrote over the past five years. The assignments can be completed throughout the week whenever it best suits the client. Saqui also conducts weekly chat sessions online to allow participants to ask questions, share insights and celebrate successes.
“Company officials who need to focus on their brand, customers and competition would benefit the most from this module. They might have been in business fewer than five years, or maybe they have never taken a research-informed look at these areas,” says Saqui. “They need to be motivated to complete the assignments, setting aside approximately two to four hours a week.”
Saqui Research helps clients answer the questions that empower them to move their organizations forward with the help of a team of professionals with expertise in human behavior, research methodology and business excellence.
Endocyte Developing New Therapies
WEST LAFAYETTE – Endocyte, a biopharmaceutical company, has announced it is developing innovative targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases.
The company uses its proprietary technology to create a type of therapy called small molecule drug conjugates, or SMDCs, which allow for the therapies to be personalized to patients, selecting only those who are most likely to benefit from the therapy.
Endocyte is the leader in the development of SMDCs.
Endocyte's technology originated from research conducted by Philip Low, a biochemist at Purdue University together with fellow Purdue biochemist Chris Leamon, now vice president of research at Endocyte.
Ron Ellis, Endocyte's president and CEO, said, “Our personalized treatment approach enables the right drug to be delivered to the right patient at the right time, which is beneficial for patients, physicians and the healthcare system overall. We will continue to focus on growing our innovative pipeline of SMDCs and companion imaging diagnostics to address the unmet medical need in cancer and other debilitating diseases.”
Endocyte's SMDCs consist of a targeted drug, the small molecule, which is linked to a potent therapeutic, such as a chemotherapy drug. This creates a highly targeted yet potent treatment that is delivered directly to the diseased cells, while minimizing negative effects on healthy cells. Endocyte designs their SMDCs to target receptors that are over-expressed on diseased cells.
Accompanying each SMDC is a companion imaging diagnostic, which consists of the same targeting drug that is instead attached to an imaging agent. These tests are used to non-invasively identify patients that over-express the receptor targeted by the SMDC, so only patients that are likely to respond to treatment will receive the drug.
In 2012 Endocyte formed a partnership with Merck worth up to $1 billion if all milestones are met.
Rail Summit Focuses on Opportunities
CHICAGO – In October, The Rail Summit will be held at the Union League in downtown Chicago to heighten awareness of the opportunities for economic development and jobs as directly related to rail in Northwest Indiana.
The Rail Summit 2013 will focus on the economic importance of short-line railroads. One of the panels on short-line railroads will feature SouthShore Freight, based in Michigan City.
The first Rail Summit was held in February 2010 to highlight for key business and community leaders about the economic importance of rail, especially freight rail.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was the keynote speaker and Caterpillar, which owns Progress Rail Services (and EDM with a new plant in Muncie where U.S. locomotives are being manufactured) was the major sponsor.
Last year, the keynote speakers were Paul Fisher, CEO of CenterPoint Properties, the largest inland port in the world, and John Vickerman, one of the country's leading experts on the impact projected freight increases will have on the area as a direct result of the expansion of both the Panama and Suez Canals.
More than 600 people attended the summits with representatives from both Indiana and Illinois.
This year, the Rail Summit has the support and endorsement of the Purdue Regional Development Center, Purdue's Department of Transportation, Transportation Center at the University of Illinois (UIC), and the NURail Center (funded by U.S. Department of Transportation), which are the top university leaders in rail.
Organizers of this year's Rail Summit said the goal is to present the importance of rail as it relates to economic development and jobs.
This year's keynote speaker is Anthony Foxx, President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of transportation. He will talk about this region being the epicenter for freight rail, especially short-lines.
Also speaking is Jack Hellman, CEO of GWI, which owns one-sixth of all the short-line railroads.
The summit starts Thursday, Oct. 24, with an evening reception and continues all day Friday at the Union League Club.
