Family values, Midwest work ethic helped shape seven-mission career of astronaut Jerry Ross Few people can say they’ve orbited the planet in a space shuttle. Crown Point native Jerry Ross is among that elite group of individuals. A retired Air Force colonel, Ross is a veteran of seven shuttle missions. His last flight into space […]
Mark Fisher
Dwyer president aims high, dreams big, and gives back One of Mark Fisher’s smartest business decisions was to drink decaffeinated coffee. The last thing this high-octane business executive needs is an energy boost. The 52-year-old father of four is in constant motion. Yet when his athletic body takes a rare break, his mind still races. […]
Stewart McMillan
Task Force Tips CEO innovates and inspires For Stewart McMillan, CEO of Task Force Tips, the Valparaiso-based, worldwide distributor of firefighting equipment, innovation is a profitable passion that inspires, saves lives, and provides an all-American way to do business and serve the community. McMillan jokes about testing 100 percent positive for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder on […]
Rick Dekker
CEO works to empower customers, local students and his community. The vacuum technology industry is not something that the average person thinks about on a daily basis. Rick Dekker, CEO of Dekker Vacuum Technologies Inc., is the first to agree with that statement. “We receive calls daily about vacuum cleaner repair,” laughs Dekker, “but we […]
Jeff Strack
Leader of Strack & Van Til started as a stock boy and bagger. by Barbara Eastman One of Jeff Strack’s fondest childhood memories is going to visit the grocery store founded in 1959 by his German-born grandfather, Ernie Strack, and his partner, Nick Van Til. Jeff’s dad worked in the business and started bringing Jeff […]
James Muhammad
James Muhammad helps Lakeshore Public Media cut debt, add programming. by Barbara Eastman James A. Muhammad, president and CEO of Lakeshore Public Media (LPM), grew up in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He went to Stillman College on a choral music scholarship and traveled the country performing with the college choir, but majored in communications. His parents were fans […]
Looking Back Looking Forward
A quarter century of growth and change, and a vision for the future. by Laurie Wink Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly is celebrating 25 years as Indiana’s leading regional business magazine. To mark this milestone, we asked five area leaders to reflect on the region’s growth over the past 25 years and share their vision for […]
Pioneer Packaging
Service and ingenuity are the keys to this pallet manufacturer’s growth. Entrepreneurs know to always be listening so they’ll hear when opportunity knocks. What about when an opportunity goes “moo”? Yes, Wade and Susan Kohler of Pioneer Packaging answered that opportunity, too, when they got into the business of livestock bedding. It’s a perfect–but not […]
CEO Profile of John Phair
John Phair leads Holladay Properties in creating headlines and jobs across much of Indiana. by Michael Puente Hardly a week goes by when Holladay Properties isn’t in the news. Whether it’s opening new commercial complex to construction of a new hotel location, Holladay Properties is involved in many business dealings across the northern part of […]
Cambridge Companies
Griffith construction company making a name in faraway places. by Michael Puente As companies go, Cambridge Companies of Griffith isn’t exactly the most well known in Northwest Indiana. But while folks around here may not have the 26-year-old company’s name on the tip of their tongues, Cambridge is making a name for itself nationally, especially […]