Our readers make their picks in dozens of categories.

Who doesn't want to be the best? Students do, as do athletes and performing artists. So, of course, do businesses, and for them the proof comes from satisfied customers who voice approval through word-of-mouth recommendations.

That's what Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly‘s annual reader survey reveals… the approval of customers and peers across the business community. To those honored businesses and organizations, we say “congratulations!” And to the readers who took time to vote in our online survey, we say “thanks!”

Best Companies to Work For
Winners: Centier Bank; Franciscan Alliance hospitals; Porter Regional Hospital; and Peoples Bank.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Crowe Horwath and Gibson Insurance.
“At Crowe, we're excited to receive this honor,” says Gary Fox, managing partner of the firm's South Bend office. “We have a very dedicated team that believes in providing an exceptional client experience, actively participating in our community and having fun. We provide opportunities for team members to establish a proper work/life balance.”

Best Meeting Site for Small Groups
Winner: Avalon Manor, Hobart.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Windsor Conference Center, Mishawaka.

Best Meeting Site for Larger Groups
Winner: Avalon Manor, Hobart.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Century Center, South Bend.

Best Hotel for Business Events
Winner: Star Plaza, Merrillville.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: DoubleTree by Hilton.

Best Convention Site
Winner: Star Plaza, Merrillville.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Century Center, South Bend.

Best Hotel for Business Travelers
Winner: Star Plaza, Merrillville.
Runner-up: Hampton Inns, locations in Merrillville, Valparaiso and Munster.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: DoubleTree by Hilton.

Best Restaurants for Business Entertaining
Winners: Gino's Steakhouse, Dyer and Merrillville; Gamba's Ristorante, Merrillville; Bistro 157, Valparaiso; and Giovanni's, Munster.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Cafe Navarre, South Bend; LaSalle Grill, South Bend; and Ruth Chris Steak House, South Bend.

Best Bed & Breakfast for Business Travelers
Winner: The Inn at Aberdeen, Valparaiso
Runner-up: Arbor Hill Inn and Guest House.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Oliver Inn.

Best Caterer for Business Events
Winner: Great Lakes Catering, Michigan City.
Runner-up: Comforts Catering, St. John.

Best Casino for Business Meetings and Events
Winner: Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City.
Runners-up: Horseshoe Casino, Hammond; and Four Winds Casino, New Buffalo.

BUSINESS SERVICES
Best Air Travel/Charter Services
Winner: Southwest Airlines, Chicago.
Runner-up: Gary Jet Center Inc.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Allegiant Air.

Best Accounting Firm
Winner: McMahon & Associates Certified Public Accountants, PC, Munster.
Runners-up: Swartz-Retson & Co., PC, Merrillville; Prasco & Associates, PC, Crown Point.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Crowe Horwath, LLP.
“We are very happy to be named best accounting firm,” says Gary Fox, managing partner of the firm's South Bend office. “Northwest Indiana is where our firm started, and we enjoy the relationships we have here. I think the fact we get this kind of recognition is because of the hard work and dedication to community that our people have.”
Runner-up: Kruggel, Lawton and Co., LLC.

Best Ad Agency for Website Design Services
Winner: Group 7even, Valparaiso.
Runner-up: AC Inc., Valparaiso.

Best Advertising Agency for a Business
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Pathfinders Advertising and Marketing, Mishawaka.
Runner-up: Villing & Co., South Bend.

Best Commercial Printer
Winner: Home Mountain Printing, Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Lithographic Communications, Munster; Largus Printing, Munster; and Accucraft Imaging, Hammond.

Best Technology Consulting Company
Winner: Golden Tech, Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Impact Solutions, Valparaiso; and Chester Technologies, Valparaiso.

Best Bank for Business
Winner: Centier Bank.
Runners-up: Horizon Bank; Peoples Bank; First Financial Bank; JP Morgan Chase; and Fifth Third (locations across the region).
Greater South Bend/Michiana: 1st Source Bank.
Runner-up: Lake City Bank.

Best Bank for Customer Service
Winner: Centier Bank.
Runners-up: JP Morgan Chase (locations across the region); Fifth Third Bank; First Financial Bank; Horizon Bank; and Peoples Bank.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: 1st Source Bank.

Best Bank for Obtaining a Business Loan
Winner: Horizon Bank (locations across the region)
“Banking has changed a lot since I started in the business, but the fact that it is a service business will always stay the same,” says Rob Gardiner, Horizon Bank market president for Lake County. “It is a nice feeling when you can help business owners reach their goals. One of the best parts of my job is learning about a business and using that opportunity to make both of us better at what we do.”
Runners-up: Centier Bank and Peoples Bank
Greater South Bend/Michiana: 1st Source Bank.

Best Credit Union
Winner: Tech Credit Union, Crown Point.
Runners-up: Regional Credit Union, Valparaiso; and Members Advantage Credit Union, Michigan City.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Teachers Credit Union.
Runner-up: Notre Dame Federal Credit Union.

Best Investment and Financial Advisory Company
Winner: Edward Jones (locations across the region)
Runners-up: Centier Bank, Merrillville; and Horizon Bank Trust Investments, Michigan City.

Best Wealth Management Advisory Company
Winner: Peoples Bank Wealth Management.
“We strive to provide our clients with excellent investment, trust and estate planning services at very competitive fees,” says Terrence M. Quinn, senior vice president and chief wealth management officer. “Being recognized as the Best Wealth Management Advisory Company is much appreciated and hopefully indicates that we do, indeed, offer the best overall value.”
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Indiana Trust & Investment Management, Mishawaka.

Best Commercial Construction Company
Winner: Larson Danielson Construction Co. Inc., LaPorte.
Runners-up: Tonn and Blank, Michigan City; and Hasse Construction, Calumet City, Ill.

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, Valparaiso.

Best Commercial Real Estate Company
Winner: McColly Bennett Commercial.
Runners-up: Prime Real Estate and Commercial In-sites, Merrillville.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Bradley Company, South Bend.
Runner-up: Cressy & Everett, South Bend.

Best Commercial Landscaping Company
Winner: RV Property Enhancement, Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Lakeshore Landscaping, Valparaiso; Tim's Landscaping, Griffith; and Hubinger's, Crown Point

Best Corporate Law Firm, Best Law Firm for Business Acquisitions and Mergers and Best Estate Planning Practice
Winner: Burke Costanza & Carberry, LLP, Merrillville and Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Krieg & DeVault, LLP, Schererville; Eichhorn & Eichhorn, LLP, Hammond; Newby Lewis Kaminski & Jones, LaPorte; and Rubino Ruman Crosmer & Polen, LLC, Dyer.

Best Corporate Law Firm
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, South Bend.

Best Law Firm for Litigation
Winners: Eichhorn & Eichhorn, LLP, Hammond and Indianapolis.
Runners-up: Krieg & DeVault, LLP, Schererville; Burke Constanza & Carberry; and Rubino Ruman Crosmer & Polen, LLC, Dyer.

Best Insurance Agency for a Business
Winner: HIA Insurance, Schererville.
Runners-up: General Insurance Services, LaPorte, Michigan City and Valparaiso; State Farm Insurance (locations across the region); and Rothchild Agency, Merrillville.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Gibson Insurance Agency.

Best Courier/Package Delivery Service
Winner: UPS (locations across the region).
Greater South Bend/Michiana: UPS.

Best Professional Employment Staffing Agency
Winner: Express Employment Professionals, Valparaiso.
Runner-up: Staff Source, Hammond.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Creative Financial Staffing.

Best Commercial Interior Design Company
Winner: HDW Interiors, Inc. Merrillville and South Bend.
Runner-up: Lincoln Office, Crown Point.

Best Place to Purchase Office Furniture
Winners: McShane's Business Products & Solutions, Munster.
Runners-up: Kramer Leonard, Chesterton; Lincoln Office, Crown Point; and HDW Interiors Inc.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Office Interiors.

Best Place to Purchase Office Equipment & Supplies
Winner: Kramer Leonard, Chesterton.
Runners-up: Lincoln Office, HDW Interiors and McShane's.

Best Local Telecommunications Company
Winner: MTA, Midwest Telecom of America Inc., Merrillville.
Runners-up: Comcast Business Services, Valparaiso; and AT&T.

Best University to Obtain an MBA
Winner: Indiana University Northwest, Gary.
Runners-up: Purdue North Central, Westville; Purdue Calumet, Hammond; and Valparaiso University, Valparaiso.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: University of Notre Dame, Mendoza School of Business.

Best University to Obtain an Online Degree
Winner: St. Francis University, Crown Point.
Runners-up: Purdue Calumet, Hammond; and Purdue North Central, Westville.

Best University for Obtaining a Technology Degree
Winner: Purdue Calumet School of Technology, Hammond.
Runners-up: Indiana University Northwest, Gary; Ivy Tech Community College, Gary; and Valparaiso University.

Best Chamber of Commerce
Winner: Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Crossroads Chamber of Commerce, Merrillville; Duneland Chamber of Commerce, Chesterton; Munster Chamber of Commerce; and Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Hammond.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce.
Runner-up: Elkhart Chamber of Commerce.

Best Business Leaders and Business Advocates
Jim Jorgenson, attorney with Hoeppner, Wagner & Evans; Calvin Bellamy; Krieg Devault; Heather Ennis, Northwest Indiana Forum; George Carberry, attorney, Burke Costanza Carberry; and Leigh Morris, Legacy Foundation.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Jeff Rea and Paul Laskowski, St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce.

Best Women Owned Businesses
Group 7even, Valparaiso; HDW Commercial Interiors, Schererville and South Bend; Prasco & Associates, CPAs, Crown Point.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Best Hospital
Winner: Porter Regional Hospital, Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Community Hospital, Munster; Franciscan St. Anthony, Crown Point; Franciscan St. Margaret Health, Dyer and Hammond; IU Health LaPorte Hospital.
“I am pleased to join the dedicated physicians, associates and volunteers at Porter Health Care System and support their work to provide the Northwest Indiana community with high-quality care,” says Porter Health Care System CEO Steve Lunn. “Porter Regional Hospital is an important resource for this area. I'm honored to be part of the hospital team recognized as the Best Hospital by Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly.”
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Memorial Hospital of South Bend.

Best Health Care Provider for Cardiology
Winner: Porter Regional Hospital.
Runners-up: Community Hospital, Munster; and Franciscan St. Margaret Health, Hammond and Dyer.

Best Health Care Provider for Treating Cancer
Winner: Porter Regional Hospital Cancer Center, Valparaiso.
Runners-up: Franciscan Alliance Cancer Care; and Community Hospital Oncology Center.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Michiana Hematology Oncology, South Bend and Michigan City.

Best Health Care Practice for Treating Spine, Joint and Back Pain
Winner: Lakeshore Bone and Joint, Chesterton.
Runner-up: Midwest Interventional Spine Specialists, Munster.

Best Occupational Health Practice
Winner: WorkingWell-Franciscan Alliance.
Runner-up: Health At Work, Valparaiso and Chesterton.

Best Urgent/Immediate Care Clinic
Winner: Franciscan Hammond Clinic, Hammond.
Runners-up: Care Express, Porter Regional Hospital; Immediate Care Center, Schererville; and Franciscan Urgent Care, Crown Point.

Best Health and Wellness Fitness Facility
Winner: Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness, Schererville.
Runners-up: Fitness Point, Munster.

EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE
Best Automobile Dealer for Business Executives
Winner: Paul Sur Buick, Valparaiso.
Runner-up: Art Hill Ford/Lincoln, Merrillville.

Best Residential Home Builder
Winner: Olthof Homes, St. John.
Runner-up: Steiner Homes, Valparaiso.

Best Golf Course
Winner: Briar Ridge Country Club.
Runners-up: Sand Creek Country Club, Chesterton; Youche Country Club, Crown Point; and Sandy Pines, Demotte.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: South Bend Country Club.
Runner-up: Blackthorn, South Bend.

Best Golf Course for Charitable/Business Outings
Winner: Briar Ridge Country Club, Schererville.
Runners-up: Youche Country Club, Crown Point; and Sand Creek Country Club, Chesterton.

Best Place to Purchase Sporting Goods
Winner: Dick's Sporting Goods, Merrillville, Schererville and Highland.
Runners-up: Cabela's, Hammond; Blythe's, Valparaiso; and Bass Pro Shop, Portage.
Greater South Bend/Michiana: Dick's Sporting Goods, Mishawaka.

Best Boating Recreational Site
Winner: Lake Michigan Hammond Marina.

Best Place to Purchase a Boat
Winner: B&E Marina, Michigan City.

Best Regional Resort for Executives
Winner: Swan Lake Golf Resort, Plymouth.