MERRILLVILLE—Each year, Northwest Indiana professionals celebrate the construction industry’s most notable achievements in performance and safety during an awards banquet hosted in partnership by the Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT) and the Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF).
This year’s event, held May 8 at Avalon Manor Banquet Center in Merrillville, drew over 600 professionals who represent some of the industry’s most prominent owners, contractors, and subcontractors. The banquet is an opportunity for attendees to receive recognition for outstanding work from the previous year while also congratulating their colleagues for elevating the industry in both project outcomes and safety initiatives.
The annual event combines two award banquets into one inspirational evening. NWIBRT’s awards recognize exceptional safety performance in the construction industry, and CAF awards highlight outstanding builders and projects from the previous year.
Aaron Janovitz, Chair of NWIBRT’s Safety Committee and Health and Safety Superintendent at bp Whiting Refinery, said Indiana’s thriving construction industry is the result of leaders who place great emphasis on these two key areas.
“Superior performance and a steadfast commitment to safety spell success in the construction industry. You can’t have one without the other, and we are truly fortunate in our region to have companies that embrace that philosophy and put it into practice daily,” said Janovitz. “It is an honor to celebrate those companies that impact the industry today and are positioned to keep moving the needle forward well into the future.”
NWIBRT honored owners, contractors, and subcontractors in several categories for their achievements in safety in 2024. During the banquet, CAF presented the Construction Excellence Awards to contractors whose projects stood out over the past year. Dewey Pearman, executive director of CAF, said these honors recognize companies that demonstrate remarkable contributions in advancing the industry.
“With the completion of each new project, the talent, commitment, and dedication behind it remind us that while it can sometimes be a challenging field to navigate, it is, without a doubt, always a rewarding industry to be in,” said Pearman. “With a foundation built from such a high caliber group of companies and leaders, the future of our industry looks stronger than ever.”
2025 NWIBRT Safety Award Winners
Owner Excellence in Leadership Awards
- ArcelorMittal
- bp Whiting Refinery
- Cargill
- NIPSCO
Contractor of the Year Winner (Over 500,000 Hours Worked)
- Amex Nooter
Contractor of the Year Winner (Under 500,000 Hours Worked)
- BMWC Constructors, Inc.
Company of the Year
- Superior Engineering
Excellence Awards
- ACMS Group, Inc.
- Advanced Engineering Services (AES)
- Amex Nooter
- BMWC Constructors, Inc.
- F.E. Moran
- Falk PLI
- M&O Insulation Company
- Petrochem Insulation, Inc.
- Superior Engineering
- Thatcher Foundations
- Valdes Architecture and Engineering
Achievement Awards
- AMS Industries, Inc.
- Calumet Lumber Inc.
- Code Red Safety
- Continental Electric Company
- Hard Rock Concrete Cutters, Inc.
- Hasse Construction Company, Inc.
- M. J. Electric
- Meade
- Morrison Construction Company
- N.A. Logan, Inc.
- Orbital Engineering, Inc.
- R. J. Mycka, Inc.
- Stevenson Crane Service, Inc.
- The Pangere Corporation
- Tonn and Blank Construction, LLC
- Total Mill Services, Inc.
- Total Safety U.S., Inc.
Recognition Awards
- Brock Industrial Services, LLC
- EMCOR Hyre Electric
- F. H. Paschen
- G.E. Marshall, Inc.
- Griffin Fluid Management
- Grimmer Construction
- K2 Industrial Services, Inc.
- Sargent Electric Company
- Solid Platforms, Inc.
Site Safety Leader of the Year
- Travis Bergstrom, Superior Construction
- Jason Morris, Cargill
Several others were honored with appreciation and recognition awards. A full list of those winners is available at Building Indiana Business.
2025 Construction Advancement Foundation Award Winners
Commercial Contractor of the Year
- Berglund Construction
Industrial Contractor of the Year
- Superior Construction
Heavy Civil/Highway Contractor of the Year
- Hasse Construction Co., Inc.
Professional And Engineering Services Firm of the Year
- DLZ
Specialty Contractor of the Year
- Thatcher Foundations Inc.
Commercial Project of the Year
- Larson-Danielson Construction Co., Inc.; Project – HealthLinc
Industrial Project of the Year
- Superior Construction; Project – bp Whiting Refinery
Public Works Project of the Year
- Grimmer Construction, Inc.; Project – SSO Remedial Project, Town of Highland
Heavy/Civil Highway Project of the Year
- Superior Construction ; Project – INDOT R-43722 (I-80-94)
Maintenance/Service Project of the Year
- BMWC Constructors, Inc.; Project – NIPSCO/Michigan City Unit 12 Outage
Excellence in Professional Development
- Superior Construction
