City of Valparaiso teams up with Valpo Chamber to host 59th Annual Community Improvement Awards

On Thursday, August 6, the City of Valparaiso and the Valpo Chamber recognized local businesses for their dedication and investment in the community during the 59th Annual Community Improvement Awards.

Rex Richards, president and CEO of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, guided this year’s program. He views the annual Community Improvement Awards as a way to thank the businesses that have dedicated their time and efforts to satisfy the residents of the city.

“A big part of a successful community is the fact that businesses want to expand and improve their facilities over time,” Richards said. “This is a perfect example of that. It really shows that local businesses are happy in Valparaiso and really look forward to maintaining a long future here.”

George Douglas, developmental director of the City of Valparaiso, credits the partners and organizations who have trusted Valparaiso over the years as a place to develop.

“This is the backbone of the community. This program recognizes the businesses and families who continue to invest in Valparaiso and grow in our community. We’re here to celebrate this investment and our partners who have helped make this happen,” Douglas said.

With just short of six decades for the Community Involvement Awards, Richards considers this event to be one of the most celebrated annual events in the Valparaiso community. He noted that for some organizations, such as the Urschel family or Family Express, these roots can be traced back from many decades to even a century.

“Some of these projects can take about 18 months from the time they first start to break ground until it’s finished. While we don’t know how many businesses we plan to celebrate next year, the group of businesses that we’ve recognized this year is one of the largest in the 59 years we’ve been doing this,” Richards said.

Between community leaders, residents, and top officials of Valparaiso-based companies, the Harre Union was loaded with a plethora of business representatives and supporters. The 2026 award recipients included:

• 1910 Calumet Avenue
• 7 Brew COffee
• Brother’s Breakfast & Lunch
• Culver’s
• Daybreak Respite House & Resource Center
• Dutch Bros
• Family Express
• Grand Gardner Hotel
• Immanuel Lutheran Church & School
• The LINC Apartments
• Neighbors Corp – The Crossing
• Valparaiso Tru by Hilton
• Valpo Parks rePLAY
• Wingtip Aviation

“It’s always great to celebrate our wins and our successes. The chamber does so much with our small businesses. Between these businesses, our neighborhoods, and other projects that we’re doing, it’s impossible to have one without the other,” Douglas said.

For many years, this event has brought together the community to celebrate how the quality of life has been enhanced through dedicated businesses and organizations in Valparaiso. As next year will be the 60th anniversary of this award ceremony, Douglas and the City of Valparaiso are excited about the projects that are yet to come.

“We have one of the best chambers in the state of Indiana, if not the best. It’s a very active membership with over 600 members,” Douglas said. “We’re all striving to make Valparaiso the very best place that it can be so people can come to work, play, or live. We hope more people continue to come down, enjoy our festivals, and check out what Valparaiso has to offer.”

NITCO, Family Express, and Northwest Health were the presenting sponsors for this year’s Community Improvement Awards.

For more information on the City of Valparaiso, you can visit ci.valparaiso.in.us.