Our readers make their picks for the Best of Northwest Indiana and Greater South Bend Michiana Business in dozens of categories.
“The best of the best.” We all think quite highly of our state, and our region within the state. It's the best, for sure, and no one will persuade us to believe anything different. So who is the best of the best? What businesses and organizations stand out among our area's impressive crowd?
That's what we try to reveal each year through Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly's reader survey … we're measuring the high opinions of our readers, who are business leaders but also customers across the business community. To those honored businesses and organizations, we say “congratulations!” And we couldn't have done this without the countless readers who took time to vote in our online survey. Thank you for your participation in our annual celebration!
Best Companies to Work For
Winners: Centier Bank; Franciscan Alliance hospitals and physician practices; Larson-Danielson Construction Co.; and Peoples Bank.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: 1st Source Bank.
Best Meeting Site for Small Groups
Winner: Avalon Manor, Hobart.
Runners-up: Radisson at Star Plaza, Merrillville; the Center for Visual and Performing Arts, Munster; Gamba Ristorante, Merrillville; Uptown Cafe, Valparaiso.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Morris Inn, University of Notre Dame.
Best Meeting Site for Larger Groups
Winner: Radisson at Star Plaza, Merrillville.
Runner-up: Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Palais Royale Ballroom, South Bend.
Best Convention Site
Winner: Radisson at Star Plaza, Merrillville.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Century Center, South Bend.
Best Site for a Corporate Retreat
Winner: Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City.
Runner-up: Inspiration Wood Cottage Inn & Conference Center, Westville.
Best Hotel for Business Travelers
Winner: Radisson at Star Plaza, Merrillville.
Runners-up: Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn, multiple locations.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: DoubleTree by Hilton.
Best Bed & Breakfast for Business Travelers
Winner: Arbor Hill Inn, LaPorte.
Runner-up: The Inn at Aberdeen, Valparaiso.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Oliver Inn.
Best Restaurants for Business Entertaining
Winners: Asparagus, Merrillville; Cafe Borgia, Munster; Coopers Hawk, Merrillville; Dish, Valparaiso; Gino's Steakhouse, Dyer and Merrillville; Gamba's Ristorante, Merrillville.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winners: Cafe Navarre, South Bend; and Corndance Tavern, Mishawaka.
Best Caterer for Business Events
Winners: Comfort's Catering, St. John; Great Lakes Catering, Michigan City; and Scarborough Faire Cafe & Bakery, Schererville.
Best Casino for Business Meetings and Events
Winner: Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City.
Runners-up: Horseshoe Casino, Hammond; and Ameristar, East Chicago.
BUSINESS SERVICES
Best Air Travel/Charter Service for Business Travelers
Winner: Southwest Airlines.
Best Accounting Firm
Winners: McMahon & Associates Certified Public Accountants PC, Munster; Swartz-Retson & Co. PC, Merrillville.
Runners-up: Angelos and Rardin CPAs; LaPorte; Applegate & Co., Michigan City.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Crowe Horwath LLP.
Best Ad Agency for Website Design Services
Winner: JM2 Webdesigners, Valparaiso.
Runner-up: Group 7even, Valparaiso.
Best Technology Consulting Company
Winner: Impact Solutions, Valparaiso.
Runner-up: Iddea Group, Valparaiso.
Best Commercial Printer
Winners: Accucraft Imaging, Hammond; and Largus Printing, Munster.
Runners-up: Home Mountain, Valparaiso; Lithographic Communications, Munster; NWI PrintPro, Crown Point; and Reprographic Arts, Michigan City.
Best Bank for Business
Winner: Centier Bank.
Runners-up: Horizon Bank; First Merchants Bank; People's Bank; and JP Morgan Chase (locations across the region).
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: 1st Source Bank (locations across the region).
“1st Source is pleased to be recognized as a ‘best bank' by readers of Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly magazine,” says Jim Seitz, 1st Source president. “It is an honor to be acknowledged for our strength in business banking and our outstanding client service. We also value being named one of Michiana's best companies to work for. It is quite an honor.”
Best Bank for Customer Service
Winner: Peoples Bank.
Runners-up: Centier; JP Morgan Chase (locations across the region); Fifth Third Bank; Horizon Bank; and Peoples Bank.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: 1st Source Bank (locations across the region).
Best Savings Bank
Winner: The La Porte Savings Bank, LaPorte.
Best Credit Union
Winners: Members Advantage Credit Union, Michigan City.
Runners-up: Tech Credit Union, Crown Point; and Regional Federal Credit Union, Hammond.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Teachers Credit Union; Notre Dame Federal Credit Union.
Best Business Investment Brokerage Firm
Winner: Edward Jones (locations across the region).
Runner-up: Merrill Lynch, Merrillville.
Best Wealth Management Advisory Company
Winner: Peoples Bank Wealth Management.
Runners-up: Harbour Trust Investment Management, Michigan City; Lakeside Wealth Management, Chesterton.
Best Commercial Construction Company
Winner: Tonn and Blank, Michigan City and Indianapolis.
“Tonn and Blank is proud to be continually recognized as a leader in the construction industry,” says Jon Gilmore, president and CEO. “Each day our employees deliver on the commitment to build facilities that create value, but also to continue to push industry-leading safety practices and innovative construction technologies. For nearly 95 years, our customers have allowed us to be a part of their team and have trusted us with their building projects. For that, we say ‘thank you.'”
Runners-up: Larson Danielson Construction Inc., LaPorte.
Best Construction Company for Commercial Office Remodeling and Expansion Projects
Winner: Larson Danielson Construction Co. Inc., LaPorte.
Runner-up: Tonn and Blank, Michigan City and Indianapolis.
Best Commercial Architectural Design Company
Winner: Design Organization, a Division of Shive-Hattery Inc., Valparaiso.
Best Commercial Real Estate Company
Winner: McColly Real Estate.
Runner-up: CBRE Group.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Bradley Co., South Bend.
Runner-up: Cressy & Everett, South Bend.
Best Residential Real Estate Company
Winner: McColly Real Estate.
Runner-up: Century 21.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Bradley Co., South Bend.
Runner-up: Cressy & Everett, South Bend.
Best Commercial Landscaping Company
Winner: Lakeshore Landscaping, Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Tim's Landscaping, Griffith; Hubinger, Crown Point; and R.A.L. Landscaping & Garden Center, Crown Point.
Best Corporate Law Firm
Winner: Krieg & DeVault LLP, Schererville.
Runners-up: Hoeppner Wagner & Evans LLP, Valparaiso and Merrillville; and Newby Lewis Kaminski & Jones, LaPorte.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: May Oberfell Lorber, Mishawaka.
Best Law Firm for Litigation, Best Law Firm for Business Acquisitions and Mergers
Winners: Krieg & DeVault LLP, Schererville; and Newby Lewis Kaminski & Jones, LaPorte.
Best Estate Planning Practice
Winners: O'Drobinak & Nowaczyk PC, Schererville; and Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP, Merrillville and Valparaiso.
Runner-up: Rice and Rice, Valparaiso.
Best Law Firm Specializing in Accidents and Personal Injury
Winner: Ken Allen, Merrillville; and Sarkisian, Sarkisian & Associates, Portage.
Best Insurance Agency for a Business, Best Property & Casualty Insurance Company
Winner: Pinnacle Insurance Group, Crown Point.
Runners-up: General Insurance Services, LaPorte, Michigan City and Valparaiso; Meyers Glaros Group, Schererville; and State Farm Insurance (locations across the region).
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Gibson Insurance.
Best Courier/Package Delivery Service
Winner: UPS (locations across the region).
Runner-up: FedEx (locations across the region).
Best Professional Employment Staffing Agency
Winner: Express Employment Professionals, Valparaiso.
Runner-up: Staff Source, Hammond.
Best Commercial Interior Design Company
Winner: HDW Interiors Inc. Merrillville and South Bend.
Best Place to Purchase Office Furniture
Winners: McShane's Business Products & Solutions, Munster; and Kramer & Leonard, Chesterton.
Runners-up: Office Depot and Staples locations throughout the region.
Best Place to Purchase Office Equipment & Supplies
Winner: McShane's Business Products & Solutions, Munster.
Runners-up: Kramer & Leonard, Chesterton.
Best Local Telecommunications Company
Winner: MTA, Midwest Telecom of America Inc., Merrillville.
Best Local Internet Provider
Winner: Comcast.
Runners-up: Nitco; Midwest Telecom of America.
Best University to Obtain an MBA
Winner: Indiana University Northwest, Gary.
“We are honored to again be chosen as the Best University to Obtain an MBA,” says Anna Rominger, dean at the IU Northwest School of Business and Economics. “We take pride in our commitment to provide our students with a quality, personal and affordable education at Northwest Indiana's longest-running AACSB-accredited public institution. Our weekend and weeknight MBA programs allow for both online and in-person courses, which enable students to complete their life-changing education while maintaining life balance.”
Runners-up: Purdue University Northwest, Hammond; and Valparaiso University, Valparaiso.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Indiana University, South Bend.
Best University for Obtaining a Technology Degree
Winner: Purdue University Northwest, Hammond.
“We are connected to business and industry and committed to preparing students for cutting-edge jobs and careers vital to current and emerging industries,” says Dr. Niaz Latif, dean of the College of Technology at Purdue University Northwest.
Runners-up: Ivy Tech Community College.
Best University to Obtain an Online Degree
Winner: Indiana Wesleyan University.
Best Chamber of Commerce
Winner: Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce.
Runners-up: Crossroads Chamber of Commerce, Merrillville; Duneland Chamber of Commerce, Chesterton; Hobart Chamber of Commerce; Schererville Chamber of Commerce; Munster Chamber of Commerce; and Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Hammond.
Best Economic Development Organization
Winner: Northwest Indiana Forum.
Runner-up: Greater LaPorte Economic Development Corp.
Best Location for Opening a New Business
Winners: Crown Point, Hobart, LaPorte, Michigan City, Munster, Schererville, Valparaiso.
Best Women Owned Businesses
Winners: Group 7even, Valparaiso.
Runner-Up: HDW Commercial Interiors, Merrillville and South Bend.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Best Hospital
Winner: Franciscan Alliance hospitals.
Runners-up: Community Hospital, Munster; Porter Healthcare System, Valparaiso.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Memorial Hospital of South Bend.
Runner-up: St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mishawaka.
Best Health Care Provider for Cardiology
Winner: Franciscan Alliance hospitals.
Runners-up: Indiana University Health LaPorte Hospital; Cardiology Associates of Northwest Indiana, Munster.
Best Health Care Provider for Treating Cancer
Winner: Community Hospital, Munster.
Runner-up: Woodland Cancer Care Center, Michigan City.
Best Occupational Health Practice
Winner: WorkingWell-Franciscan Alliance.
Best Urgent/Immediate Care Clinic
Winner: Franciscan Hammond Clinic, Hammond.
Best Health and Wellness Fitness Facility
Winner: Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness, Schererville.
Runner-up: Fitness Point, Munster.
EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE
Best Automobile Dealer for Business Executives
Winner: Schepel Buick GMC, Merrillville; Sauers Ford Lincoln, Michigan City; Christenson Chevrolet, Highland.
Greater South Bend/Michiana Winner: Gurley Leep Automotive Group; Lexus of Mishawaka.
Best Residential Home Builder
Winner: Olthof Homes, St. John.
Runner-up: Schilling Construction, St. John.
Best Golf Course
Winner: White Hawk Country Club, Crown Point.
Runners-up: The Course at Aberdeen, Valparaiso; Briar Ridge Country Club; Schererville; Sand Creek Country Club, Chesterton; Innsbrook Country Club, Merrillville; Lost Marsh, Hammond; Youche Country Club, Crown Point.
Best Golf Course for Charitable/ Business Outings
Winner: White Hawk Country Club, Crown Point.
Runners-up: Briar Ridge Country Club; Schererville; Sand Creek Country Club, Chesterton; Innsbrook Country Club, Merrillville; Youche Country Club, Crown Point.
Best Place to Purchase Sporting Goods
Winner: Dick's Sporting Goods, multiple locations.
Runners-up: Blythe's Sporting Goods, Valparaiso; MC Sports; Sports Authority.
Best Jeweler for Corporate Gifts
Winner: Albert's Diamond Jewelers, Schererville and Merrillville.
Runners-up: Martin Binder Jeweler, Valparaiso.
