It’s time to celebrate Hoosier organizations prioritizing internal cultures that bolster their workforces and companies. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce honored a record 193 employers from throughout the state tonight at the 2024 Best Places to Work in Indiana Awards Dinner, presented by trueU. Rankings were revealed in four categories at the event, which was held in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center. Coming in at No. 1:

• JA Benefits, a Bedford-based insurance and employee benefits company – small category (between 15 and 74 U.S. employees)
• TrueScripts, a prescription benefit management service in Washington – medium category (between 75 and 249 U.S. employees)
• Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, a casino and racing park in Anderson – large category (between 250 and 999 U.S. employees)
• ARCO Design/Build, a national design/build construction firm with a location in Indianapolis – major category (1,000 or more U.S. employees)

JA Benefits earns the No. 1 designation for the fifth time, while TrueScripts celebrates a “three-peat” in its category. ARCO jumped from the No. 2 spot in 2023 to join Harrah’s as a first-time winner in 2024.

“The theme of this year’s program was ‘Show Off Your Superpower,’ and these winning organizations are definitely ‘super’ in the ways in which they enhance the lives of their employees,” says Indiana Chamber President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders. “The fun staff events, terrific benefits and benevolent efforts to improve their communities are just some of the ways these leading businesses are setting examples for workplace culture.”

Organizations on the list represent more than 40 cities and towns, with a variety of honorees coming from Carmel, Evansville, Fishers, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Marion, Plainfield, Warsaw and Washington. In addition, several businesses have multiple Indiana locations.

This year’s winners include companies with Hoosier employee counts (at the time of application) ranging from 15 to 1,300. Out-of-state parent companies were eligible to participate if at least 15 full-time employees are in Indiana. Two companies – Edward Jones and KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller) – have received the honor in all 19 years of the program’s history.

Honorees and rankings were determined through employer reports and a comprehensive, anonymous employee survey. The Workforce Research Group handled the selection process.

2024 marked the 19^th year for Best Places to Work in Indiana. Sinders was excited to take part in the first Best Places to Work event of her tenure.  “Since I began, I’ve been hearing what a fun experience this event is,” she shares. “It’s clear the impact on the state’s business community is palpable and it’s a pleasure to bring so many Hoosiers together to recognize these employers and their staffs.”

All companies that participated in the 2024 Best Places to Work program receive an in-depth evaluation identifying strengths and weaknesses according to their employees. In turn, this report can be used in developing or enhancing employee retention and recruitment programs.

In addition to the awards, winners will be recognized via a special section of the Indiana Chamber’s BizVoice® magazine and through Inside INdiana Business, a Division of IBJ Media – both of which reach statewide audiences. Additional program partners are HR Indiana SHRM, Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Institute for Workforce Excellence, Wellness Council of Indiana and Workforce Research Group. More information about the Best Places to Work honorees is available via the current edition of BizVoice magazine, available online at www.bizvoicemagazine.com.

Additional Best Places to Work in Indiana sponsors are: platinum sponsor Indianapolis Airport Authority; gold sponsor Nucor Steel Indiana; silver sponsors Dentons, LHD Benefit Advisors, True Rx Health Strategies and TrueScripts; visibility sponsors Bone Dry Roofing, Inc., Busey Bank, DKP, Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Horseshoe Hammond casino, Indiana Members Credit Union, Invst, Jackson Lewis, Moser Consulting, Northwest Bank, Parkview Health, Performance Services, Inc., Reis-Nichols Jewelers and Safety Management Group.

The application period for the 2025 Best Places to Work program kicks off this summer. Go to www.bestplacestoworkindiana.com to learn more and apply.

List of 2024 Best Places to Work in Indiana honorees by ranking:

Small Companies (15-74 U.S. employees) (87)
Company / Primary Indiana Location

1. JA Benefits, LLC / Bedford
2. CleanSlate Technology Group / Carmel
3. CSpring / Carmel
4. Magnum Logistics / Plainfield
5. ADVISA / Carmel
6. Hamilton County Tourism / Carmel
7. KBSO Consulting, LLC / Carmel
8. LHD Benefit Advisors / Indianapolis
9. Goelzer Investment Management / Indianapolis
10. St. John Associates, Inc. / Bloomington
11. Conner Insurance / Indianapolis
12. Banning Engineering, Inc. / Plainfield
13. Leaf Software Solutions / Carmel
14. Platinum Recruiting Group / Carmel
15. Indesign / Indianapolis
16. Your Money Line / Indianapolis
17. BBB Serving Central Indiana / Indianapolis
18. Ultimate Technologies Group / Fishers
19. TMG Construction Management, Inc. / Noblesville
20. Sponsel CPA Group, LLC / Indianapolis
21. Powers & Sons Construction / Indianapolis
22. netlogx / Indianapolis
23. Raybourn Group International, Inc. / Indianapolis
24. Glassboard / Indianapolis
25. The Mind Trust / Indianapolis
26. Insurance Management Group / Marion
27. Mainstay Property Group / Indianapolis
28. Brite Systems, Inc. / Indianapolis
29. Meyers Glaros / Merrillville
30. Bowe Digital, LLC / Kokomo
31. Summers of Marion, Inc. / Marion
32. MakeMyMove / Indianapolis
33. Found Search Marketing / Fishers
34. Invesque / Fishers
35. Summers of Fort Wayne, Inc. / Fort Wayne
36. Greenwalt CPAs, Inc. / Indianapolis
37. Qualifi / Indianapolis
38. DKP / Zionsville
39. Summers of Kokomo, Inc. / Kokomo
40. Brackett Heating-Air-Plumbing / Evansville
41. Safety Resources, Inc. / Indianapolis
42. iRiS Recruiting Solutions / Carmel
43. Solution Source / Goshen
44. FORCE Communications / Carmel
45. Interactive Digital Solutions / Noblesville
46. Align CEC, Inc. / Greencastle
47. ECS Solutions / Evansville
48. Network Solutions, Inc. / Granger
49. Visit Indy / Indianapolis
50. Integrity Learning Center / Plainfield
51. MDMi / Indianapolis
52. Steinberger Construction, Inc. / Logansport
53. BLASTmedia / Indianapolis
54. Connecta Corporation / Indianapolis
55. Auctor Corporation / Indianapolis
56. NFP-First Person / Indianapolis
57. Gray Capital / Indianapolis

(Small Companies – Honorable Mentions)

• Bedel Financial Consulting, Inc. / Indianapolis
• Blackink IT / Indianapolis
• BlueSky Commerce / Noblesville
• CertaPro Painters / Indianapolis
• Dittoe Public Relations / Indianapolis
• Donovan CPAs / Avon
• Financial Enhancement Group, LLC / Anderson
• Guidon Design / Indianapolis
• IDO Incorporated / Indianapolis
• Jacobi, Toombs & Lanz / New Albany
• Joyner Homes / Greenfield
• Konrady Plastics, Inc. / Portage
• Lafayette Instrument / Lafayette
• Luther Consulting, LLC / Carmel
• Mattison / Indianapolis
• MD Architects / Indianapolis
• The MDC Group / Noblesville
• Mesh Systems / Carmel
• Phoenix Data Corporation / Indianapolis
• Prime Hospitality Group / Indianapolis
• Rathburn Tool & Manufacturing / Auburn
• R.E. Dimond and Associates, Inc. / Indianapolis
• REGO-FIX USA / Whitestown
• Simply Driven Executive Search / Indianapolis
• Structural Components Fabrication / Martinsville
• Steele / Indianapolis
• Valve+Meter Performance Marketing / Indianapolis
• Warsaw Chemical Holdings, LLC / Warsaw
• Winona IT / Warsaw
• World of DVC / Indianapolis

Medium Companies (75-249 U.S. employees) (62)
Company / Primary Indiana Location

1. TrueScripts / Washington
2. Renovia / Indianapolis
3. GadellNet Consulting Services / Carmel
4. Harrell-Fish, Inc. / Bloomington
5. eimagine / Indianapolis
6. United Consulting / Indianapolis
7. True Rx Health Strategists / Washington
8. E-gineering, Inc. / Indianapolis
9. SEP / Carmel
10. HWC Engineering / Indianapolis
11. Meyer Najem Construction / Fishers
12. Schmidt Associates / Indianapolis
13. The Skillman Corporation / Indianapolis
14. Butler, Fairman & Seufert, Inc. / Indianapolis
15. Fleece Performance Engineering / Pittsboro
16. Springbuk / Indianapolis
17. Wessler Engineering / Indianapolis
18. Reis-Nichols Jewelers / Indianapolis
19. Shrewsberry & Associates, LLC / Indianapolis
20. FleetWatcher / Indianapolis
21. Prolific / Indianapolis
22. Hoosier Crane Service Company / Elkhart
23. Indiana Oxygen Company / Indianapolis
24. Design Collaborative / Fort Wayne
25. Morales Group / Indianapolis
26. IU Credit Union / Bloomington

(Medium Companies – Honorable Mentions)

• The Annex Group / Indianapolis
• Aunalytics / South Bend
• Controlled Holdings / Indianapolis
• Cork Medical / Indianapolis
• Creative Works / Indianapolis
• Dealers Wholesale / Indianapolis
• Elements Financial / Indianapolis
• Financial Center First Credit Union / Indianapolis
• Five Star Technology Solutions / Jeffersonville
• Garmong Construction / Indianapolis
• Harmony Healthcare IT / South Bend
• HometownLX / Indianapolis
• INCOG BioPharma Services / Fishers
• J.C. Hart Company / Carmel
• JCBank / Seymour
• Kruggel Lawton CPA / South Bend
• MidWest America Federal Credit Union / Fort Wayne
• Milhaus / Indianapolis
• OrthoPediatrics / Warsaw
• Otava, A Schurz Company / Indianapolis
• Onebridge / Indianapolis
• Oliver Winery / Bloomington
• Parkview Ortho Hospital / Fort Wayne
• Parkview Wabash Hospital / Wabash
• PediPlay / Indianapolis
• Peerless Midwest, Inc. / Mishawaka
• RQAW / Fishers
• Sheridan Community Schools / Sheridan
• Starin / Chesterton
• Surf Internet / Elkhart
• Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling / Brownsburg
• Unified Group Services / Anderson
• VOSS Automotive, Inc. / Fort Wayne
• Weddle Bros. Construction Co., Inc. / Bloomington
• Woodhouse Spa / Carmel

Large Companies (250-999 U.S. employees) (31)
Company / Primary Indiana Location

1. Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing and Casino / Anderson
2. WestPoint Financial Group / Indianapolis
3. The Garrett Companies / Greenwood
4. Performance Services, Inc. / Indianapolis
5. Blue & Co., LLC / Carmel
6. Horton Group / South Bend
7. Ryan Fireprotection / Noblesville
8. Lochmueller Group, Inc. / Evansville
9. Zotec Partners, LLC / Carmel
10. FORUM Credit Union / Fishers
11. KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller) / Indianapolis
12. Guardian Care / Fishers

(Large Companies – Honorable Mentions)

• AssuredPartners / Jeffersonville
• Bone Dry Roofing, Inc. / Indianapolis
• Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company / Fort Wayne
• Buckingham Companies / Indianapolis
• Dentons Bingham Greenebaum / Indianapolis
• Electric Plus, Inc. / Avon
• HNTB Corporation / Indianapolis
• Horseshoe Hammond Casino / Hammond
• Hylant / Carmel
• Impact Networking / Indianapolis
• Indiana Members Credit Union / Indianapolis
• Indianapolis Airport Authority / Indianapolis
• Moser Consulting / Indianapolis
• Parkview Whitley / Columbia City
• Quality Correctional Care / Carmel
• Rehab Medical / Indianapolis
• Safety Management Group / Indianapolis
• Shook Construction / Indianapolis
• STAR Financial Bank / Fort Wayne

Major Companies (1,000+ U.S. employees) (13)
Company / Primary Indiana Location

1. ARCO Design/Build / Indianapolis
2. Edward Jones / Carmel
3. Centier Bank / Merrillville
4. Busey Bank / Carmel
5. Colliers / Indianapolis

(Major Companies – Honorable Mentions)

• Bastian Solutions / Carmel
• First Merchants Bank / Muncie
• Franklin Electric / Fort Wayne
• The Kendall Group / Fort Wayne
• MISO / Carmel
• Northwest Bank / Fishers
• Total Quality Logistics / Indianapolis
• Warehouse Services, Inc. / Evansville

Why Our Foster Parents Matter
 
You may have heard the heart-tugging interviews of celebrities who spent part of their childhood in foster care. You've undoubtedly seen the feel-good story of a foster parent who "made all the difference" for a child who grew up to be an icon, a change-maker. Maybe you've skimmed an article online about the national foster care crisis. Or maybe you recognized familiar foster care language in a politician's campaign, who vows to "keep our kids out of group houses" and find them homes. Foster care is not for the stories, interviews, and campaigns. It's not only happening in the lives of stars and influencers. We have so many youth experiencing foster care, especially teenagers, who need safe, temporary homes while they await reunification with their families. However, there needs to be more foster homes for all of them.
 
Older youth are NOT the ones getting placed in our available foster homes. Teens often end up placed in group homes and shelters because there are not enough foster homes available. These teens in foster care are friends of our children. They are our nieces, nephews, and youth of family friends. They are our neighbors.
 
Youth experiencing the foster care system need foster parents who will stand by them and walk through uncertainty to help them heal. They need positive adult role models.
 

THIS is why our foster parents matter. THIS is why adults - young, old, married, single, gay, straight - who commit themselves to teens by opening their homes and hearts are the ones instilling hope. THIS is why we celebrate foster parents.

According to Ashley Morgan, MHA, with National Youth Advocate Program in Scottsburg, "We are also sharing the need for more foster parents in our community. Specifically, there is a need for foster families who are able to keep siblings together.  We know that when foster care is a necessity as a means of providing safe homes for youth until they can return home, and when siblings are separated, they often experience unnecessary trauma.  We are committed to helping siblings stay together when foster care is needed.

"National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP) provides 24/7 support to our foster families, comprehensive educational opportunities and a holistic approach to serving our foster families so they can better care for youth experiencing foster care.  We also provide support to the families of origin of the youth in care."

May is National Foster Care Month. National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP) appreciates foster parents everywhere. Just like our own children, teens experiencing foster care thrive when they're placed in loving, safe, empowering homes with foster parents who genuinely want them to succeed.

 To learn more about becoming a NYAP foster parent, please visit www.nyap.org/fostercare or call us at 877-NYAP-CAN.

Does your money run out before the end of the month?
Is it difficult to pay your bills on time?
Do you wish you had more money?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then the “Where Does The Money Go” program is for you!

Purdue Extension is offering a free, two-part class to give you the information to overcome money issues.  The classes are Thursday, May 16, and Thursday, May 23, 6 p.m., at the Washington County Government Building Meeting Room, 806 Martinsburg Road, Salem.  

You will learn to:
Recognize where your money goes
Stop spending “leaks” to save money for what you really want
Develop a spending-savings plan

The classes are free, but registration is required. Register by contacting Sonya Mitchell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 812-883-4601.

Any groups, clubs, organizations, churches, etc. that would like to offer the program to  their members are encouraged to contact Mitchell to make arrangements.

By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

Over twenty-five volunteers showed their community pride by participating in the first Salem Spruce up. They met at city hall Saturday morning, May 11.

Spearing heading this community cleanup was Carlos Bravo and city councilman Roger Pennington.  Bravo owns the El Caminos Mexican Restaurant.

They were joined by city council members Randy Lee, Dylan Moore and Steve Crane. These city council members bought the donuts and pickup reach grabber tools. 

There were also T-shirts printed and donated by Linck’s Clothing and Shoes. Trash bags were provided by Ace Hardware of Salem.

The city was divided into four quadrants, and the volunteers were assigned to a quadrant. Maps with the area were provided.

As a reward for everyone's efforts, a taco bar was served by Carlos Bravo at 1 p.m..

Staff Photos By Jerry Curry