La Porte earned another feather in its cap: the city was named Indiana Chamber of Commerce's Yamaha Community of the Year.

The award was official at the 27th annual awards dinner Nov. 5 at the JW Marriott Indianapolis.

Bert Cook, executive director of the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, credited the win with a long-term plan that started decades ago.

“A lot of people will refer back to the mid-1980s (as the catalyst for transformational change) when Rumely Allis-Chalmers, which made farm implements, fully went out of business,” he said in a press release. “They were the largest employer in La Porte by a long shot for a very long time. It started that process of what I would call ‘rebirth.’”

Mayor Tom Dermody took office in 2019 and hasn't looked back. He started off by adopting the slogan “Living the Lake Lafe,” which launched quality-of-place initiatives.

“As a team, we’ve hung our hat on the message and mindset that La Porte is the place to be. This designation reinforces that ideal and recognizes our position as a community that is making big moves,” Dermody said in a press release. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited about the future as we continue to build on this momentum.”

Now the city is partnering with Microsoft to bring a data center to 489 acres in the Radius Industrial Park. The project announced in 2024 broke ground last summer. Microsoft also agreed to pay property taxes on the 245,000-square-foot facility.

“The Microsoft project is a great example of what is possible when our city, economic development partners, businesses and community stakeholders come together with a common goal,” Cook said. “It took collaboration, creativity and a willingness to work together to make this project happen, and those same qualities will continue to drive our community forward.”

A chamber panel choose La Porte after considering other locations for the state award.

“(La Porte's) momentum is evident across nearly every measure that matters to community and economic vitality: national recognition for quality of life and affordability, major business investment, new housing to support workforce growth, and revitalization in downtown and surrounding neighborhoods,” said Indiana Chamber President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders.

The city also came in second in the USA Today’s Best Small Town in the Midwest contest in 2025.