In this issue

The Best of Business Awards are always an exciting time of year for the staff at Northwest Indiana Business Magazine. We enjoy finding out who our readers think are the best!

This year’s winners faced challenges but mostly made big plans for the future.

For 20 years, our readers have voted for the best in the Region. We thank them for taking time out of their busy work schedules to vote for their favorite vendors, businesses and community organizations.

We also congratulate the winners! Their work ethic, attention to customer service and vision for the future make them stand out in the Region’s business community.

Many other businesses in this issue also are finding ways to pursue success, including entrepreneurs who are fearless in pursuit of their dreams. We celebrate National Small Business Week in May by featuring three businesses that find Northwest Indiana a special place to do business.

Our construction story focuses on interesting ways to keep costs down and projects on schedule. Companies are turning to new innovations and ways of thinking. Then we have a little fun thinking about the ways companies can build their teams. From axe throwing to simulated space missions, employees can learn to count on each other by working together to escape a room, solve a problem, or just release some stress.

Then we share the Future of Goshen, a place where the quality of life makes the city a special place to live, work and play! With careful planning, city leaders have created reasons to start a business, enjoy the outdoors and visit their vibrant downtown.

Our series on economic development will take a closer look at how growth will increase the Region’s need for energy and how companies are working to meet that need.

We also profile Mno-Bmadsen, a firm that is building a financial future for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi by acquiring other companies that agree with their motto of a “good way of living.”

Plus we feature stories on a PNW alumni, a banker working at the YMCA, a master gardener and the Health Foundation of La Porte. But the best does come last when DJ Moore of Erosion & Construction Solutions offers reasons to let go of unreasonable goals and just be. Enjoy this issue!

Don Babcock

Count way to success

Purdue University Northwest's Don Babcock argues weak math preparation is closing career doors for students, pointing to the U.S. ranking 34th in math among 78 nations.
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Toyia Moore

Big on housing

The Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance runs HUD-certified counseling and financial literacy classes across Lake County as foreclosures and evictions rise statewide.
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photo of Glow-in-the-Dark Smooth Bore fire hose nozzle

Nozzle worth noting

Elkhart Brass Manufacturing's glow-in-the-dark firehose nozzle won the 2025 Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana contest, beating 48 products from 36 communities.
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Sherry Langdeau and Tabetha Alvarado

Answering the call

Crown Point's Great Lakes Communications handles 24/7 calls for businesses, doctors, and crisis hotlines. Co-founders Langdeau and Alvarado launched the service in 2015.
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Blessing Mene

Essential adviser

Blessing Mene, enFocus's director of entrepreneurship, draws on a career supporting 100-plus startups and $25M raised to coach South Bend-area founders.
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Hammond Sportsplex

Economic power of play

Northwest Indiana's 114 scheduled youth sports events in 2026 could generate $45M, fueled by facilities like the Hammond Sportsplex and Elkhart aquatics center.
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Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart

Sustainable prospects

From a food-waste plant in LaPorte County to PFAS detection in South Bend, Northwest Indiana companies are building sustainability into core business operations.
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“Legacy Leaders” breakfast in November 2025

Lots of buyers out there

Indiana's office of entrepreneurship and innovation is partnering with regional groups to help small business owners plan exits as baby boomer retirements accelerate ownership turnover.
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Valparaiso University engineering students

Trending careers in trades

Northern Indiana's construction industry is pushing to recruit more high school graduates, pointing to paid apprenticeships, major project demand, and AI-resistant job security.
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Best of Business Awards 2026

2026 award winners

Northwest Indiana Business Magazine's 2026 Best of Business winners, chosen by reader survey for the 21st year, share how hiring, technology upgrades, and new offices shaped their 2025.
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Chris Campbell

Professional advancement

Northwest Indiana and Michiana professionals across banking, health care, education, law, and manufacturing announce hires, promotions, and board appointments.
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Cover of April-May 2026 Issue

In this issue

From small businesses to youth sports, discover how community spirit and local leadership are shaping a stronger Northwest Indiana.
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Author

  • Heather Pfundstein 2024
    Publisher/Executive Editor - Linker Media Group

    Heather Pfundstein is the publisher and executive editor of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine and NWIndianaBusiness.com. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience in Northwest Indiana and northern Illinois newsrooms. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She has been part of the magazine's team since 2018.

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