Valparaiso

219-462-1105

valpochamber.org

Any good chamber of commerce should approach its mission of promoting local businesses and helping entrepreneurs develop their customer bases by getting creative and giving them everything they have to succeed.

And for the last 110 years, that’s exactly how the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce has operated for its diverse roster of member businesses, giving  them a wide array of opportunities to raise their visibility with local consumers.

Valparaiso has long been known as a great place to shop and dine, and by merchants as a great place to cater to those customers. And the chamber can certainly be proud of the job it does in making sure more and more people know about it.

SECOND PLACE

Highland-Griffith Chamber of Commerce

8536 Kennedy Ave.

Highland

219-923-3666

highlandgriffithchamber.com

THIRD PLACE (Tie)

Munster Chamber of Commerce

1005 Ridge Road

Munster

219-836-5549

munsterchamber.org

Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce

440 W. 84th Drive

Merrillville

219-769-8180

crossroadschamber.org

www.townofdyer.com

Longtime resident David Hein has gone from being Dyer’s police chief to town manager and has seemingly seen it all.

He thinks the little town has a little of everything to offer.

“The town possesses a lot of small-town qualities, and we have close proximity to the larger areas, lakefronts and dairy farms,” Hein said. “The small-town feel is what piques my interest. You feel like you are in a small town, even though it’s growing. It’s always one of the safest communities in the State of Indiana.”

Some of the growth includes the final phase of the Calumet Avenue corridor, a pending splash pad and the development of a South Shore train station, which Hein said will give residents easy access to schools and jobs.

SECOND PLACE

Crown Point

crownpoint.in.gov

THIRD PLACE

Valparaiso

ci.valparaiso.in.us

St. John

219-365-6010

shrineofchristspassion.org

The Shrine of Christ's Passion also was voted Best Public Garden/OutdoorExhibition and Best Gift Boutique.

SECOND PLACE

Campagna Academy

7403 Cline Ave.

Schererville

219-322-8614

campagnaacademy.org

THIRD PLACE

Food Bank of Northwest Indiana

6490 Broadway

Merrillville

219-980-1777

foodbanknwi.org

St. John

9900 191st St.

Mokena, Ill.

888-365-6005

schillings.com

Schillings also placed first for Best Home Improvement Store, Best Door and Window Replacement, Best Kitchen/Bath Remodeling, Best Carpet/Flooring Store, Best Customer Service, Best Place to Buy Granite and Best Cabinet Shop.

SECOND PLACE

Midwest Express Clinic

Multiple locations

midwestexpressclinic.com

THIRD PLACE

Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys

421 81st Ave.

Merrillville

219-227-4993

lernerandrowe.com/merrillville

Crown Point

219-779-9104

Momentumindiana.org

Pastor Charlie Arms said people seem to love his church because it’s a casual place to learn the good word.

“We’re a blue jean, rock and roll, T-shirt kind of church,” he said. “The bottom line is that we just want people to meet Jesus and feel the love of God and feel loved. That’s the point.”

He said the small church — just a few hundred people — started seven years ago with its inaugural service at Gelsosomo’s Pizza in Crown Point and has grown from there.

“We have people from all over the world here, and everybody just loves each other,” he said. “It’s a real family. People find a warm reception. It’s for people who have either given up on church or for people who have never been in church before.”

Arms came to the area from Florida and brings a laid-back attitude to the church.

“We give an opportunity for people to be themselves and ask questions and not worry about anyone giving them a cross look if they say something wrong,” Arms said. “It’s a relaxed atmosphere.”

SECOND PLACE

Griffith First Christian Church

202 W. Pine St.

Griffith

219-924-6840

Gfcc.net

THIRD PLACE

Living Stones Church

909 Pratt St.

Crown Point

219-663-7729

Lstones.org