Indiana’s leading regional business magazine since 1991 REAL ESTATE | BROADBAND | DUNES NATIONAL PARK | MARKETING EVENTS JUN-JUL 2019 Northwest Indiana Business Magazine Serving greater Northwest and Northcentral Indiana and surrounding counties Perfect technological storm Hammond’s Digital Crossroads in line Thomas Dakich to meet rising demand for data storage Senior manager Digital Crossroads Lake Michigan CHOOSE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR YOUR GROWING BUSINESS. Purdue Technology Center and AmeriPlex at the Crossroads provide the right locale and environment for new and existing businesses to create and grow. Indiana Certified Technology Park • Right Location – an hour from the Chicago Loop • Room to Grow – 189 available acres, site ready • Superior Facility – full-service, turnkey office, lab and coworking options • First-Class Amenities – state-of-the-art work space, fiber optic connectivity • Meeting Space – three well-appointed conference rooms Purdue Technology Center 9800 Connecticut Drive, Crown Point, Ind. FOR MORE 219.644.3683 INFORMATION www.prf.org/researchpark/locations/northwest Left to right: Dan Magura, Peoples VP, Business Banker with Kurt Kropp, CEO & Owner of Kropp Equipment. BETTER equipped for our business. Why bank bigger… bank better with a bank that puts your business first. “I can do everything with a phone call to Peoples Bank. It can be 6 am or late at night, and I always get a call back, usually within 15 minutes. When it comes to my business, I am pretty driven. For my financial needs, Peoples is too. There’s always someone available that’s knowledgeable with options to fit my needs.” – Kurt Kropp, CEO & Owner Kropp Equipment Bank of the Year for Small Business Administration 504 Loans* Bank Better with Peoples – one of the top 200 performing community banks** in the nation for 14 consecutive years. Visit us online or call a Business Banker today. ibankpeoples.com | 219.853.7500 Member FDIC Peoples Bank is an SBA (Small Business Administration) approved lender. *2018 Regional Development Company Award. **American Banker Magazine NORTHWEST INDIANA BUSINESS MAGAZINE JUN - JUL 2019 CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S NOTE 5 Strategy first Define ideal prospects, key points of differentiation before committing to specific marketing tactics BUSINESS NEWS 6 Around the Region Learn about the people and companies making a difference at work and in their communities 12 DEMANDING DATA STORAGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 12 Perfect technological storm Hammond’s Digital Crossroads in line to meet rising demand for data storage COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE 18 Strong, steady development Statistics show demands for commercial space stable for Northwest, North Central Indiana IT COMMUNICATION 22 How to fix rural digital divide Private industry, government work together to bring broadband to more Hoosiers TOURISM 26 Name-changing landscape National park status for Indiana Dunes puts Region’s lakeshore in elite group 26 PASSPORT TO INDIANA DUNES OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NEEDS MET WITH CONVENIENT HOURS IN MANY LOCATIONS Crown Point Hobart Michigan City Munster Portage Rensselaer Valparaiso CONTROL NEW LOCATION HOBART MEDICAL A comprehensive occupational health network for employers COSTS with job-related health needs AND KEEP (866) 552-WELL (9355) EMPLOYEES WorkingWell.org HEALTHY OCCH112217NI1 8/2018 CONTENTS CONTINUED MARKETING 30 Persistent social gains Industry leaders offer insight on how to build customer base with targeted online content MEETINGS & EVENTS 34 Eventful improvements Setting special events apart takes time and continual improvement, organizers say BUSINESS PROFILE 38 Unexpected innkeepers Valparaiso Inn Bed and Breakfast offers guests 130-year perspective 34 LEARN TO DRAW A CROWD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 40 Out & About Discover interesting events, exhibits, performances to see and do in Region MAKING A DIFFERENCE 42 A place to make ideas bloom ArtHouse in Gary place to build community, express culinary creativity with business support LEADER PROFILE 43 Space dreams started here Family values, Midwest work ethic helped shape seven-mission career of astronaut Jerry Ross VIEWPOINT 44 Student-directed classroom Seeds of entrepreneurship can be planted early but might not include a college education 38 HISTORIC RENOVATION NWINDIANABUSINESS.COM PUBLISHER’S NOTE READ ON< PHONE Strategy first Define ideal prospects, key points of differentiation JUN - JUL 2019 before committing to specific marketing tactics Publisher/Executive Editor Troy Linker arketing can feel like throw- ideal customers. Sort your customers by Managing Editor ing a dart at a dartboard. You most profitable, most sales or anything Larry Avila rarely hit a bull’s-eye, even a else that makes sense for your busi- Director, Advertising Sales slight miss can dramatically ness. Look for customers who want and Melanie Aylsworth Mimpact your score, and too often, your value your product/service. Use these Contributing Writers throw misses the board entirely. customers as a model to create a profile Larry Avila • Lesly Bailey • Lauren Caggiano Implementing marketing tactics like of your ideal prospect. John Cain • Jerry Davich • Jane Donahue social, email, ads, sponsorships, etc., Each profile includes Annemarie Mannion • Carrie Napoleon that don’t support an overall market- a simple paragraph Philip Potempa • Michael Puente Jack Walton • Daniel Schultz ing strategy feels like playing darts or two that describes Editorial Advisory Committee blindfolded. You don’t know which way your prospect as if Erika Dahl • John Davies to throw your dart, and even if you are they are sitting across Lorri Feldt • Brett Fuller lucky enough to hit something, you from you. Include a Barbara Grimsgard • Keith Kirkpatrick have no idea if you scored any points. demographic descrip- Leigh Morris • Raeann Trakas Strategy is often missing from tion, an explanation Michelle Searer • Anthony Sindone marketing planning because it is of what they want, a Mary Wellnitz • Linda Woloshansky confused with tactics, goals, missions description of their Photography and objectives. Tactics get the lion’s problem(s), an under- u Troy Linker is Michelle Hamstra share of the attention with most standing of how they executive editor Magazine Design/Production marketing articles focusing their advice buy and the best way and publisher of the Heather Pfundstein on ads, sponsorships, endorsements, to communicate with Northwest Indiana email: [email protected] email campaigns, media outreach, them in each profile. Business Magazine. web: nwindianabusiness.com websites, testimonials, referrals and visit: facebook.com/nwindiananbiz case studies. Be different visit: twitter.com/nwindianabiz visit: linkedin.com/company/nwindianabiz Becoming an industry thought By default, most prospects think leader isn’t a strategy—it’s an objec- that your business is different from the Northwest Indiana Business Magazine 905 Joliet St #237, Dyer IN 46311 tive. Serving customers with respect other providers in your industry. An is owned and published by and integrity isn’t a strategy—it’s essential part of your marketing strat- Linker Media Group, Inc., a mission. Growing sales in a new egy is identifying and communicating Troy Linker, President and CEO. market isn’t a strategy—it’s a goal. a simple idea or position that makes Many contributing writers are experts from So what is a strategy? A marketing your business different from the rest various fields and provide advice to our readers strategy defines your ideal prospect of the market in your ideal prospect’s on their individual specialties. Experts provide and identifies and communicates crit- mind. The difference needs to be in the general information, for educational purposes, regarding legal, accounting, insurance and other ical points of differentiation between way you sell your service, the way you professional issues. This information is not a you and your competitors. It is an package your product, the way you do substitute for specific professional advice given explanation of your plan to reach your business or your ability to transform by qualified professionals who are aware of an individual’s particular circumstances. objectives. Your strategy is how you are the lives of your prospects. © Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. going to get there, not what or where Quality, excellent service and a fair Reproduction without permission is prohibited. “there” is. price aren’t compelling differentiators— Visit NWIndianaBusiness.com/subscribe they are expectations. Being different Two-year subscription rate is $19.95. Decide who matters for difference sake isn’t enough to sepa- One-year subscription rate is $14.95. Marketing pieces that don’t speak rate you from your competitors. The to their intended audience lack focus. only persuasive difference is one that is Using an ideal prospect profile as the valued by your ideal prospects. basis of your strategy helps ensure Without a blindfold and with a little u Cover photo your marketing is targeted to your ideal practice, even inexperienced market- of Thomas Dakich prospect. Who is an ideal prospect? For ers can hit a few bull’s-eyes and win by Michelle Hamstra existing businesses, start with your more than they lose. NORTHWEST INDIANA BUSINESS MAGAZINE | JUN - JUL 2019 5 BUSINESS NEWS AROUND THE REGION READ ON< PHONE Learn about people, companies making difference at work and in their communities LARRY AVILA BMO Harris Bank recently Franciscan Health; secretary, Dewey appointed new regional presidents Pearman, Construction Advancement