The Best of Business Awards are always an exciting time of year for the staff at
Northwest Indiana Business Magazine. We enjoy finding out who our readers think are the best!
This year’s winners faced challenges but mostly made big plans for the future.
For 20 years, our readers have voted for the best in the Region. We thank them for taking time
out of their busy work schedules to vote for their favorite vendors, businesses and community organizations.
We also congratulate the winners! Their work ethic, attention to customer service and vision
for the future make them stand out in the Region’s business community.
Many other businesses in this issue also are finding ways to pursue success, including
entrepreneurs who are fearless in pursuit of their dreams. We celebrate National Small Business Week in May by
featuring three businesses that find Northwest Indiana a special place to do business.
Our construction story focuses on interesting ways to keep costs down and projects on schedule.
Companies are turning to new innovations and ways of thinking. Then we have a little fun thinking about the ways
companies can build their teams. From axe throwing to simulated space missions, employees can learn to count on each
other by working together to escape a room, solve a problem, or just release some
stress.
Then we share the Future of Goshen, a place where the quality of life makes the city a special
place to live, work and play! With careful planning, city leaders have created reasons to start a business, enjoy the
outdoors and visit their vibrant downtown.
Our series on economic development will take a closer look at how growth will increase the
Region’s need for energy and how companies are working to meet that need.
We also profile Mno-Bmadsen, a firm that is building a financial future for the Pokagon Band of
Potawatomi by acquiring other companies that agree with their motto of a “good way of living.”
Plus we feature stories on a PNW alumni, a banker working at the YMCA, a master gardener and
the Health Foundation of La Porte. But the best does come last when DJ Moore of Erosion & Construction Solutions offers reasons to let go of unreasonable
goals and just be. Enjoy this issue!
Purdue University Northwest's Don Babcock argues weak math preparation is closing career doors for students, pointing to the U.S. ranking 34th in math among 78 nations.
The Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance runs HUD-certified counseling and financial literacy classes across Lake County as foreclosures and evictions rise statewide.
Elkhart Brass Manufacturing's glow-in-the-dark firehose nozzle won the 2025 Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana contest, beating 48 products from 36 communities.
Crown Point's Great Lakes Communications handles 24/7 calls for businesses, doctors, and crisis hotlines. Co-founders Langdeau and Alvarado launched the service in 2015.
Blessing Mene, enFocus's director of entrepreneurship, draws on a career supporting 100-plus startups and $25M raised to coach South Bend-area founders.
Northwest Indiana's 114 scheduled youth sports events in 2026 could generate $45M, fueled by facilities like the Hammond Sportsplex and Elkhart aquatics center.
From a food-waste plant in LaPorte County to PFAS detection in South Bend, Northwest Indiana companies are building sustainability into core business operations.
Indiana's office of entrepreneurship and innovation is partnering with regional groups to help small business owners plan exits as baby boomer retirements accelerate ownership turnover.
Northern Indiana's construction industry is pushing to recruit more high school graduates, pointing to paid apprenticeships, major project demand, and AI-resistant job security.
Northwest Indiana Business Magazine's 2026 Best of Business winners, chosen by reader survey for the 21st year, share how hiring, technology upgrades, and new offices shaped their 2025.
Northwest Indiana and Michiana professionals across banking, health care, education, law, and manufacturing announce hires, promotions, and board appointments.
From small businesses to youth sports, discover how community spirit and local leadership are shaping a stronger Northwest Indiana.
Publisher/Executive Editor - Linker Media Group Heather Pfundstein is the publisher and executive editor of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine and NWIndianaBusiness.com. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience in Northwest Indiana and northern Illinois newsrooms. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She has been part of the magazine's team since 2018.
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