A New Day in Highland: One Year, Some Challenges, and Plenty to Be Thankful For
October 2026 | Calumet Chicago Company
Sometimes a photograph says more than a thousand words.
This beautiful October sunrise over our Highland, Indiana facility seemed especially fitting as Calumet Chicago Company celebrates its first anniversary at 9900 Express Drive. With fall approaching, the morning sky offered a welcome reminder that every new day brings fresh opportunities — and perhaps a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come.
One year in Highland. More than 50 years of history behind us. And plenty of reasons to look forward.
A Year of Progress — and a Few Unexpected Challenges
When we relocated from our longtime home on Bernice Road in Lansing, Illinois, in October 2025, we were excited about the possibilities our new facility would bring.
The move provided us with additional room to service industrial equipment, support our CUDA aqueous parts washer operations, handle railroad jack repairs, and better serve the industrial customers who have trusted us for decades.
Over the past year, we’ve continued improving the building, organizing our operations, and settling into our new surroundings. As anyone who has moved an operating business can appreciate, getting everything exactly where you want it doesn’t happen overnight.
But we’re getting there, and we’re proud of the progress.
When Mother Nature Decides to Test Your Patience
Of course, no first year would be complete without a few surprises.
In August, Northwest Indiana experienced a devastating series of storms, including tornadoes and destructive winds that left widespread damage and power outages across Lake County and surrounding communities.
At Calumet Chicago Company, we were fortunate to avoid some of the destruction experienced by others. However, the storm left us with a serious electrical challenge: we lost one leg of our 208-volt, three-phase electrical service.
For an industrial service business, that’s no small inconvenience.
Air compressors, aqueous parts washers, welders, and other essential shop equipment depend on reliable electrical power. Losing a phase meant working around significant limitations while trying to keep our customers’ equipment moving through the shop.
It wasn’t an ideal situation, and it certainly tested our patience.
But our people adjusted, found ways to keep working where safely possible, and did what they could to minimize interruptions for our customers.
Sometimes success isn’t about everything going according to plan. It’s about how you respond when it doesn’t.
That attitude has served Calumet Chicago Company well for more than half a century.
A Special Thank You to the Utility Workers
We also want to recognize the utility lineworkers, repair crews, emergency responders, and everyone involved in restoring power throughout Northwest Indiana.
It’s easy to take electricity for granted until it disappears. When it does, you quickly appreciate the tremendous effort required to restore essential services.
While businesses and homeowners were understandably frustrated by the lengthy outages, thousands of people were working under difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions to get our communities back on their feet.
To the NIPSCO crews, contractors, visiting utility workers, and support personnel who worked long hours during the recovery: Thank you. Your efforts did not go unnoticed.
Good People Make a Good Company
Looking back on our first year in Highland, one thing stands out above everything else: the people.
We’re grateful for our employees who show up, solve problems, adapt to changing circumstances, and take pride in their work. Much of what they do happens behind the scenes, but it’s what keeps this company running.
We’re equally appreciative of our customers — many of whom have been with us for years, and some for decades. Their continued confidence in Calumet Chicago Company is something we never take for granted.
And we’re thankful for our suppliers, service partners, neighboring businesses, and the Highland community for helping make our new location feel like home.
Buildings and equipment are important, but relationships, reliability, and good people are what sustain a business over the long haul.
Looking Forward to Another Year
As autumn arrives and we begin our second year in Highland, we’re optimistic about what lies ahead.
We’ll continue improving our facility, expanding our capabilities where it makes sense, and focusing on what we’ve always tried to do best: providing dependable industrial equipment service, practical solutions, and personal attention to our customers.
There will undoubtedly be more challenges. After more than 50 years in business, we’ve learned to expect a few.
But there will also be opportunities, improvements, and hopefully many more mornings like the one captured in this photograph.
A new sunrise. A new season. Another year of doing what we do best.
From all of us at Calumet Chicago Company, thank you for being part of our story.
Here’s to another great year in Highland, Indiana.
Calumet Chicago Company
9900 Express Drive
Highland, Indiana 46322
708-474-2343
www.calumetchicago.com
