Winners plan to capitalize on thoughtful growth plans laid in 2025

Northwest Indiana Business Magazine’s 2026 Best of Business winners know greatness doesn’t just happen. It is the result of hard work, tenacity and joy for doing work that is fulfilling and profitable. Plus, a little luck and knowing the right people always helps.

That includes the magazine’s readers, who are business leaders, owners, experts and their employees. For the past 21 years, readers have taken a survey to determine who is the best of the best in Northwest Indiana and Michiana.

“In many ways, the magazine acts as a connector for businesses, bringing together people, ideas and opportunities that contribute to the continued growth and success of Northwest Indiana,” said Steve Carlisle, president of Wightman.

Best of Business winners in 2026 also know keeping your customers and employees happy leads to referrals and accolades.

“What makes these awards particularly meaningful is knowing they come from the people who know us best, our patients,” said Raymond Grady, president and CEO of Franciscan Health Munster, Dyer and Crown Point.

Some of this year’s winners have been on the list a long time, but others have landed on it for the first time. This means the magazine’s readers use the survey to reward their clients, vendors, colleagues and advertisers.

“Winning (an award) for the sixth year in a row means a lot because we lean on our clients to help tell our story … and when we have them out there singing our praises through reviews and recognitions, it means a lot,” said Aaron McDermott, co-founder and president of Latitude Commercial.

Patti Komara, CEO of Patti’s All-American Gymnastics, is a first-time Best of Business winner.

“I’ve been in business for 57 years and treasure all the moments of loss — because you learn from being at the bottom — triumph, and human interactions with staff and our customers,” Komara said.

Year of change

Winners reported that 2025 was a year of change. From new technology to new offices and employees, growth came with hard work and perseverance.

John Wilkening, executive vice president and chief banking officer at Tech Credit Union, said 2025 was one of the credit union’s most successful years.

“Our greatest challenge was managing that rapid growth and ensuring we scaled our team and operations to support it,” he said.

Other companies also invested in their staffs. Urschel Laboratories hired more than “70 new employees in 2025 to help reduce lead times,” CEO Rick Urschel said.

Latitude Commercial went so far as to open another office when an employee moved away.

“When one of our property managers wanted to relocate to Denver, we made the decision to open an office there rather than lose the talent,” McDermott said. “That meant restructuring our Northwest Indiana operations, within our property management division, while also launching a new office in a new market from the ground up.”

Wightman plans to conduct an employee survey to gauge engagement.

“Ensuring that our employees feel supported, valued and connected to the firm’s mission remains a top priority,” Carlisle said.

Calder Capital, which has an office in Valparaiso, welcomed new team members and set sales records.

“Scaling the firm brought new challenges as we welcomed several talented team members and formalized our leadership structure,” said Max Friar, founder and managing partner. “Personally, it required me to step back, trust the team, and evolve my role as the firm grows.”

Winners also noted that technology upgrades were part of growth plans in 2025.

“We proactively migrated more than 150 employees across seven physical offices, along with our remote workforce, to a virtual desktop environment,” said CPA Barry Hall, managing partner at Kruggel Lawton CPAs. “This initiative represented a meaningful evolution in how our firm operates and took approximately six months to fully integrate.”

Latitude implemented a CRM for its brokerage division.

“We also plan to continue strengthening the systems and processes that support our brokers so they can focus on production and client advisory rather than administrative friction,” McDermott said.

Plans for 2026

As for the year ahead, Best of Business winners mostly said they plan to capitalize on growth plans laid in 2025.

“Our goal for 2026 is to continue growing in a thoughtful and sustainable way while preserving our culture,” said Kari Marich, CFO and owner of Staff Source. “We want to expand our reach, invest in our team, and keep providing dependable workforce solutions — without ever losing the personal, family-oriented approach that defines Staff Source.”

Technology will play a part at many of our winning companies.

“In 2026, we will continue strengthening our workforce, refining how we use data to guide decisions, and building practical partnerships that expand access and improve outcomes,” said Bill Trowbridge, president and CEO at Regional Health Systems (a member of Regional Care Group).

Others will focus on creating and maintaining connections.

“Staying connected to the business community helps ensure our students gain practical, relevant skills that translate directly into professional success for the individual and their community,” said Symphony Raudry, graduate programs coordinator at the Indiana University Northwest School of Business and Economics.

Companies will need help from higher education and other community partners to meet the growing need for workers.

“Northwest Indiana is experiencing notable growth driven by population trends, infrastructure investment, and redevelopment initiatives that are revitalizing communities,” Carlisle said. “Being part of that momentum has been incredibly rewarding for our team as we help support projects that will have lasting impacts.”

Ultimately, helping others become great is at the core of our winners’ ideals.

“Our goal is to continue to grow and innovate by developing new programs, improving the learning environment, supporting the wellbeing of our communities, and ensuring that our graduates are successful,” said Cynthia Roberts, interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and former dean of the School of Business and Economics at Indiana University Northwest. “We are never really done — it’s a journey.”

For Joe Skibbie, founder of JRS Mar/Com and a first-time Best of Business winner, his motto in 2026 is to help his staff “have more fun!”

“With performance improvements a constant goal, we don’t want to be blinded to the fact that we enjoy what we do and have the opportunity to advocate for a number of exciting industries,” he said.

Northwest Indiana

Winner: McMahon & Associates CPAs P.C.

Michiana

Winner: Kruggel Lawton CPAs

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Centier Bank

Michiana

Winner: Horizon Bank

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Centier Bank

Michiana

Winner: Horizon Bank

Northwest Indiana

Winner: CAPTRUST

Michiana

Winner: Calder Capital

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Tech Credit Union

Michiana

Winner: Notre Dame Federal Credit Union

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Centier Bank

Michiana

Winner: Horizon Bank

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Centier Bank

Michiana

Winner: Centier Bank

Northwest Indiana

Winner: JRS Mar/Com

Michiana

Winner: Sera Group

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Miss Print

Michiana

Winner: Reprographic Arts

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Staff Source

Michiana

Winner: TalentSource

Northwest Indiana

Winner: IdeaSeat

Michiana

Winner: Sera Group

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Pulse Technology

Michiana

Winner: Vista Technologies

Northwest Indiana

Winner: MTA / Midwest Telecom of America

Michiana

Winner: Surf Internet

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Pulse Technology

Michiana

Winner: Office Interiors

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Office Interiors

Michiana

Winner: Office Interiors

Northwest Indiana

Winner: MTA / Midwest Telecom of America

Michiana

Winner: Surf Internet

Northwest Indiana

Winner: The Grand

Michiana

Winner: Lasalle Catering & Events

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Innsbrook Country Club

Michiana

Winner: Blackthorn Golf Club

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana

Michiana

Winner: Blue Chip Casino, Hotel & Spa

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Center for Visual and Performing Arts

Michiana

Winner: City of South Bend's Technology Resource Center

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Bella Photography Studios

Michiana

Winner: Josef Samuel Photography

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Gamba Ristorante

Michiana

Winner: Essence of Elkhart

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Facet Architecture

Michiana

Winner: Shive-Hattery

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Larson-Danielson Construction

Michiana

Winner: Tonn and Blank Construction

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Larson-Danielson Construction

Michiana

Winner: Tonn and Blank Construction

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Total Terrain Solutions

Michiana

Winner: Beary Landscaping

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Latitude Commercial

Michiana

Winner: Cressy Commercial Real Estate

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Millies Engineering Group

Michiana

Winner: Wightman

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Homes of Distinction

Michiana

Winner: Schrock Homes

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Apex Construction & Remodeling

Michiana

Winner: Affordable Remodelers

Northwest Indiana

Winner: McColly Real Estate

Michiana

Winner: Cressy & Everett Real Estate

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Urschel Laboratories Inc.

Michiana

Winner: Centier Bank

Northwest Indiana

Winner: 18th Street Brewery

Michiana

Winner: Visions GPS Branding

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Purdue University Northwest

Michiana

Winner: Indiana University South Bend

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Indiana University Northwest

Michiana

Winner: Indiana University South Bend

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Indiana University Northwest

Michiana

Winner: University of Notre Dame

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Veterans' Cafe & Catering

Michiana

Winner: Acme Water World

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Patti's All-American Gymnastics

Michiana

Winner: Visions GPS Branding

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Crossroads YMCA

Michiana

Winner: Beacon Health & Fitness

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Northwest Cancer Centers

Michiana

Winner: MHO Care

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Franciscan Health

Michiana

Winner: Beacon Health System

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Regional Health Systems

Michiana

Winner: Michiana Behavioral Health

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute

Michiana

Winner: South Bend Orthopaedics

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute

Michiana

Winner: South Bend Orthopaedics

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Franciscan Health

Michiana

Winner: Beacon Health System

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Franciscan Health

Michiana

Winner: Beacon Health System

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP

Michiana

Winner: THK Law

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP

Michiana

Winner: THK Law

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP

Michiana

Winner: THK Law

Northwest Indiana

Winner: Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP

Michiana

Winner: THK Law

Northwest Indiana Business Magazine considers it an honor to support the Region’s business community. Thank you for contributing to our Best of Business survey! ▪