Spotlighting the Best in Business
Check out our readers' picks, along with other award winners.
Welcome to our spring issue, as we again recognize the “best in business,” voted by hundreds of readers in Northwest Indiana and Greater South Bend. We thank you for voting, and applaud this year's recipients.
Our small business focus this issue includes the growing value of using social media as a part of your marketing strategies.
The “Salute to Business,” presented by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, recognizes several entrepreneurs, including as “Small Business of the Year,” Paulo Teixeira's Strikes & Spares Entertainment Center in Mishawaka. Teixeira's idea to add entertainment activities saved and grew his business. Phil Newbold, CEO of Beacon Health System, received the W. Scott Miller Distinguished Business Leader Award, and Shane Fimbel, CEO of the Union Station Technology Center, received the Outstanding Young Business Leader Award. Read more inside about these and other winners.
As Shane Fimbel explained, he is looking to acquire more companies as baby boomers are retiring and are looking for the person who can be trusted to carry the business forward. You don't want to miss reading our business succession feature. Our experts offer free advice and guidance on this very topic.
Investing in the future of tomorrow's workforce is a vision for several workforce development initiatives in Northwest Indiana and elsewhere. ArcelorMittal's signature associate's degree program is called “Steelworker of the Future.” After completing the training, graduates are offered jobs based on needs. Today's steel industry, like other manufacturers, is highly automated and high tech. Read this article inside to learn more about these programs ensuring tomorrow's workforce needs are met.
Young entrepreneurs who are making it in today's competitive marketplace are spirited and innovative. Inside, meet this year's picks, doing everything from selling athletic shoes to manufacturing fashionable reading eyewear. Meet a creative photographer who is living his passion and another young leader with a niche business in industrial safety inspections.
We have some great departments this issue, including a sports exclusive on Sarah Fisher, the only woman team owner in IndyCar.
The television news program “60 Minutes” recently aired a segment on cyber-attacks and the growing number of hackers who now can get inside databases. Not coincidently, cybersecurity-related jobs are growing too. Assistant professor Michael Tu, with Purdue Calumet's College of Technology, shares insight as our Technology Department contributor. Peggy Buffington, Ph.D. our Viewpoint contributor, writes about privatization of schools in Indiana.
And finally, Indiana recently had an embarrassing few moments in the national spotlight when the Religious Freedom Restoration Act law passed. This legislation with good intentions was viewed as missing language needed to protect against acts of discrimination. Thanks to the media and public outrage, positive action was taken to clarify some of the “misunderstandings” of this legislation. As for business owners, a need to understand the complete RFRA law is recommended, as with all laws that have to do with equality including race, gender, sexual orientation, disability or religion.
Enjoy our current issue!!
–Glee Renick-May, Publisher
