[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 16, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E635-E636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING THE NORTHWEST INDIANA BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME 
                             CLASS OF 2017

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 16, 2017

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect and admiration 
that I rise to commend numerous exceptional leaders from Indiana who 
were honored as the Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of 
Fame Class of 2017. While there were many nominees, this year's 
inductees include Joseph Mansueto, Raymundo Garcia, Karen Maravilla, 
Craig Dwight, Robert Johnson, Fair Oaks Farms, and Don Babcock. For 
their many contributions to the community of Northwest Indiana and 
beyond, these honorees were recognized at the 10th Annual Induction 
Ceremony on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at the Avalon Manor in Merrillville, 
Indiana. Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue University and former 
Governor of Indiana, was the keynote speaker for the event.
   Joe Mansueto is the founder and Executive Chairman of Morningstar 
Incorporated. Morningstar was initially created to educate individual 
investors, but it quickly became an asset to financial advisors and 
institutions. Under Joe's leadership, the company has become a global 
organization, managing 1.2 million retirement assets and advising up to 
10.9 million individual investors, 300,000 plan sponsors, 250,000 
investment advisors and more than 1,300 institutions. Morningstar 
secures $800 million in annual revenue, does business with 27 companies 
globally, and employs more than 4,500 people worldwide.
   Raymundo Garcia and Karen Maravilla are the owners and operators of 
El Taco Real restaurant in Hammond, Indiana. In addition, Karen owns 
and operates Its Just Serendipity, a vintage shop in downtown Hammond. 
Throughout their twenty-one years together, Karen and Raymundo have 
shared a passion for entrepreneurship as well as a philanthropic 
spirit. The community of Hammond is very important to them, and they 
have worked hard to help revitalize parts of the city over the years. 
Their next project includes the purchase of three large properties in 
downtown Hammond that they will renovate and repurpose.
   Craig Dwight is the Horizon Bancorp Chairman and Chief Executive 
Officer. Under Craig's leadership, Horizon's total assets increased 
from $360 million to $3.1 billion in 2016. In addition, Horizon 
currently includes 59 branches and is one of the top largest banks in 
the state of Indiana, while ranking as the 342nd largest bank in the 
United States. Mr. Dwight's charitable efforts are to be admired and 
commended. Craig continues to give back to the community and has 
chaired numerous fundraising campaigns for many organizations, 
including the United Way of LaPorte County, the Martin Luther King 
Center, the Michigan City Education Fund, and the YMCA, to name a few.
   Robert Johnson is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cimcor, 
which is based in Merrillville, Indiana. Cimcor is a global 
cybersecurity company that acts to keep information and servers 
protected and secure. Due to his hard work, strong leadership, and 
innovative mind, Robert Johnson has made Cimcor immensely successful. 
Customers include NASA, the United States Air Force, and the Chicago 
Stock Exchange, to name a few. In addition, Mr. Johnson enjoys giving 
back to the community of Northwest Indiana and serves on the advisory 
boards for Valparaiso University's Cyber Operations/IT Programs, Purdue 
University Northwest's Computer Technology Department, and Indiana 
University Northwest's Computer Information Sciences Program. Robert 
also serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Legacy 
Foundation, and he is a member of the board of directors for Methodist 
Hospitals.
   The recipient of the Enterprise of the Year Award is Fair Oaks 
Farms. Fair Oaks Farms, located at the border of Jasper and Newton 
counties, is an incredibly successful working farm that is also an 
agricultural tourist destination. The farm brings in more than 600,000 
visitors each year and is a popular field trip site for area schools. 
Fair Oaks continues to grow and expand its many attractions, including 
the pig adventure, pork education center, the farm-to-table Farmhouse 
Restaurant, the dairy adventure, and more. Fair Oaks is planning to add 
many new and innovative attractions that will appeal to a wide audience 
and give guests a reason to keep coming back, such as a beef cattle 
adventure and a poultry attraction that will demonstrate how 500,000 to 
700,000 chickens are raised.
   The recipient of the Partners in Progress Award is Don Babcock. Don 
is the Economic Development Director for NIPSCO and has been very 
successful in creating partnerships that bring in new industries, such 
as Alcoa Howmet, Hoist Liftruck, and Pratt Industries. Don also works 
tirelessly to build support for

[[Page E636]]

many public works projects such as the South Shore commuter rail 
expansion and the Gary Airport runway improvement. Mr. Babcock is also 
President of the Michigan City Redevelopment Commission, which is 
currently working on a $20 million rejuvenation of the city. He has 
been called, ``an unsinkable cheerleader for the region.'' I am truly 
grateful for his enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to the community 
of Northwest Indiana.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my distinguished colleagues to join me in 
commending these dedicated leaders upon their induction into the 
Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame. They are truly 
deserving of this honor, and for their exceptional leadership and 
commitment to the region and beyond, each of them is worthy of the 
highest praise.

                          ____________________