Barry Suits, President of Indiana American Water (INAW), underscored the critical importance of Gary and Northwest Indiana during his presentation at the Gary Chamber of Commerce’s monthly meeting.
The presentation represented Suits’ first official visit to the Region since he signed on as President in December of last year. Northwest Indiana represents some 250,000 of INAW’s 1.5 million customers, with the company operating two facilities that pump, treat, and distribute over 50 million gallons of water each day – including 35 million from its Gary Borman Park facility. The Region is a critical part of IANW’s mission, and Suits was eager to meet local leaders and community members.
“In addition to the number of customers we have up here, Northwest Indiana represents about a fourth to a third of our employee base across the state,” he said. “This community is a big part of what we do, and it’s extremely important for us to have community partners like the Gary Chamber. I always say that while we’re a big company, water is a local business. When that community thrives, we thrive, and our employees all work, live, and play in the communities that we serve.”
Charles “Chuck” Hughes, president and CEO of the Gary Chamber of Commerce, eagerly welcomed Suits and the IANW team. Since 2007, the company has invested over $471 million in Northwest Indiana. Many of those investments have gone straight into Gary, such as an $8 million Disinfection Treatment Plant at IANW’s Borman Park facility.
“We’re delighted that Mr. Suits chose to come to the Gary Chamber of Commerce for his first visit,” Hughes said. “It’s important for Northwest Indiana. Indiana American Water doesn’t just supply water to Gary, they supply it to the whole area. We’re delighted to have a person of his caliber here addressing this audience.”
Among the groups in attendance were representatives from Gary Community School Corporation, including Superintendent Yvonne Stokes. The Disinfection Treatment Plant, which allowed IANW to switch its treatment method away from chlorine gas to a much safer form of chlorine, was built on the site of the vacant Jefferson Elementary after it was purchased by IANW in 2020.
“Effective partnerships between water utilities and local governments like Gary are vital for ensuring sustainable water management,” Suits said. “By working together, we can address infrastructure and resilience challenges, improve service delivery, and safeguard public health. Collaboration fosters innovation and diversity of ideas, all benefiting the community."
Other projects that Suits touched on included its ongoing effort to rid the state of an estimated 55,000 lead service lines – roughly two-thirds of which were in Gary. So far, IANW has replaced 33,000 of them, having invested nearly $110 million into the project since 2017.
“We understand that removing pipe is a disruption to people's lives and daily routines,” Suits said. “However, our crews are being welcomed into neighborhoods because we’re adding value back into the community with this massive infrastructure program. Most importantly, we provide peace of mind for residents by addressing their health concerns, their family’s well-being, and the value of their homes – that builds trust.”
Suits also discussed IANW’s commitment to getting involved with the community outside of its regular service. It volunteers its water trailers to events such as the Gary Air Show, for example. It also makes contributions to local nonprofits, such as $20,000 to the Urban League of Northwest Indiana last year, and $10,000 in January to the United Way of Northwest Indiana.
“We also donated two newly decommissioned International dump trucks to Gary,” Suits said. “We provided them to the public works department, where they’re being used to serve the city in a different way by removing snow and debris from around the city. We understand that when our community prospers, we all benefit. Together, we can build a brighter future for Gary, one where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”
To learn more about Indiana American Water and its community initiatives and investments, visit amwater.com/inaw.
