Dewey Pearman (L) presents the Highway Contractor of the Year Award to Reith-Riley Construction’s Ron Foreman.

The Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF) of Northwest Indiana recently celebrated the region's highest-quality project outcomes and contractor performances with an awards presentation. Altogether, the contractors honored by the foundation demonstrated an ability to consistently exceeded national industry standards while establishing projects that will benefit NWI for many years.

"Our winning companies have demonstrated repeatedly they're not content with mediocre. They want to be the best and they want to develop projects that a lasting impact on our region. We're proud of their hard work and proud to celebrate their achievements," said Dewey Pearman, executive director of the CAF.

Awards are given based on work completed the year prior (2019).

Contractor of the Year

Winners of the Contractor of the Year award and their highlighted efforts, were:

• The Pangere Corp. — Commercial Contractor of the Year —The Pangere Corp. took home this award for its efforts on the $42.8 million Community Stroke and Rehabilitation Center in Crown Point; the $4.1 million St. Catherine Hospital infusion center buildout in East Chicago; and the $1.5 million interior remodel of an Aldi's store in Valparaiso.
• Hasse Construction Company Inc. — Industrial Contractor of the Year — Hasse Construction earned this award for its performance on several heavy industrial projects, including the $12 million walking beam furnace project at ArcelorMittal, Burns Harbor; a $2.2 million project involving a new building at Cargill Pacman; a $2.1 million project involving a specialty powder warehouse for Cargill; and a $1.8 million project to expand a NIPSCO substation in Munster.
• Reith-Riley Construction Co. Inc. — Highway Contractor of the Year — Reith-Riley Construction earned this award for its performance on the $60 million Indiana Toll Road PUSH II project; the $2 million Lake County Community Crossings project; and the $2.3 million Willowcreek Road project in Portage.

Excellence in Professional Development

The Excellence in Professional Development award honors companies that take a proactive role in improving the quality of their workforce through professional development training across all levels of their organization. The 2020 winner was:

• Claude Powers, Powers and Sons Construction

Project of the Year

CAF evaluates a contractor's ability to deliver a project to the owner on schedule, within budget, with minimal disruptions, and for maintaining a high commitment of safety. Project of the Year award winners and their projects were:

• Hasse Construction Company Inc. — Industrial-Capital Project of the Year — Hasse Construction earned this award for the $12 million walking beam furnace foundation project performed at ArcelorMittal, Burns Harbor.
• Tonn and Blank Construction LLC — Commercial Project of the Year — Tonn and Blank earned this award for its work on the $34 million Dean and Barbara White Southlake YMCA project.
• Hasse Construction Company Inc. — Public Works Project of the Year — Hasse Construction earned this award for the $11 million Bulldog Park project in Crown Point.

About CAF

The Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana Inc. is a regional construction industry trade association with more than 500 affiliated contractor companies.

For more information on the CAF, visit cafnwin.org.

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