APACKS, 1500 Lake Street,  joined 49 other companies from 17 Indiana counties to have earned a place in Indiana’s second annual field of Companies to Watch.  The accolade, presented by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Center network, Purdue University and the Edward Lowe Foundation, recognizes the state’s privately held businesses that employ up to 150 employees and have between $750,000 to $100 million in annual revenue or working capital. APACKS designs and manufactures integrated packaging systems for bottling liquids and packaging dry powders. Each packaging system is designed individually to meet the production goals of their customers. They also work with the leading manufacturers of labeling machines, cap sealing equipment, coding machines, shrink wrapping equipment, case building and palletizing machines to deliver complete packaging solutions (http://www.apacks.com) .

A Packaging Systems was nominated for the award jointly by the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation (GLEDC) and the Pursue Extension Office.  Tim Gropp of GLEDC stated, “We are excited to see A Packaging Systems recognized with this state honor.  This is a company that started out in a local garage and has kept growing in our community.  It is always nice to see a local business succeed and get recognition for their accomplishments.”  Walt Sell of the Purdue Extension office added, “We are extremely pleased and excited that A Packaging System will receive the “Indiana Companies to Watch “award.   It is important to note that businesses such as A Packaging Systems LLC are vital to the economic well being of our community and we congratulate them on their success.”

“Mid-sized companies like these named Companies to Watch make up the foundation of the Indiana economy,” said Mitch Roob, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “Congratulations to this year’s field and the hundreds of other nominees who have had such a tremendous impact as they grow and continue to create new jobs for Hoosiers.”

The 50 “Companies to Watch,” which were named after evaluating the more than 500 nominations for the awards, represent industries ranging from food manufacturers to software developers and medical device makers to financial services firms.

The 50 chosen companies project to have combined revenues in excess of $671 million and create more than 560 new jobs this year. The revenue projections represent an increase of more than $200 million from 2008.

Nearly 3,800 mid-sized companies with between $5 million and $100 million in annual sales operate in Indiana, according to a 2008 Indiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation study. Those companies employed more than 386,000 workers and produced more than $55 billion in annual sales.

With major sponsorship from Barnes & Thornburg LLP, the “Companies to Watch” awards program is an initiative developed by the Cassopolis, Mich.-based Edward Lowe Foundation.  The foundation hosts similar programs in Michigan, Arizona, Mississippi and Colorado. Indiana Companies to Watch is also sponsored in part by KeyBank, Premier Capital Corporation and Katz, Sapper & Miller.