Industrial Millwright, Welding & Rebuild Servicesacross Northwest Indiana
Quick overview
South Shore Industrial is a millwright, welding, fabrication and equipment-rebuild contractor based in Portage, in the middle of Northwest Indiana. Our field crews and machine shop serve steel, refractory, process and power plants across Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, and (219) 386-1506 is answered 24/7 for emergency repairs.
Northwest Indiana at a glance
- Services offered in Northwest Indiana
- 8
- Prequalified contractor
- ISN & Avetta
Calls we get
What we're called for in Northwest Indiana
Mill drive down overnight
A main drive or gearbox fails on night turn. The plant calls our 24/7 line, a crew rolls from Portage, and our machine shop starts on parts while the tear-down is underway.
24/7 Emergency RepairCracked structure near the heat
Chutes, hoods, frames and platforms crack from heat and vibration. Our AWS certified welders repair them in place under your hot work permit, often during a short down turn.
On-Site & Specialty WeldingRoll change on a tight window
A finishing or rolling line has a planned roll change and a short outage. Our millwrights pull, set and align the rolls, then hand the line back on schedule.
Roll ChangesBaghouse pressure climbing
Differential pressure creeps up, emissions readings get close, and an inspection is coming. We find the torn bags, failed pulse valves or leaking ductwork and fix them.
Baghouse & Dust Collection
From the Portage shop
Where we work in Northwest Indiana
The route
Portage sits on I-94 and I-80/90, so crews run west on either to Gary, Hammond and East Chicago, and east on I-94 or US-20 to Chesterton and Michigan City. SR-49 and US-30 cover Valparaiso and the inland towns.
The local industrial base
The Region runs on heavy industry packed along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Integrated steel mills, finishing lines, refining and chemical operations, power plants and refractory producers sit side by side. Behind them is a ring of service centers, machine shops and fabricators that keep the big plants supplied.
Breakdown in Northwest Indiana? (219) 386-1506 is answered 24/7.
Central shop
Portage sits between Gary and Michigan City.
24/7 line
Call (219) 386-1506 any time.
On-site welding
AWS certified welders in the shop or field.
Prequalified
ISNetworld member and Avetta prequalified.
What we do here
Services in Northwest Indiana
Millwright Services
Rigging, setting, alignment, installs and outage work.
24/7 Emergency Repair
Line down? Call (219) 386-1506, day or night.
On-Site & Specialty Welding
Mobile welding rigs at your plant, 24/7 for emergencies.
Equipment Rebuilds
Gearboxes, pumps, fans and presses rebuilt to spec.
Refractory Press Repair & Service
Brick presses, molds, stackers and feed systems. All makes.
Custom Metal Fabrication
Structural, pipe and replacement parts. Shop and field.
Roll Changes
Rolling mill and paper machine roll changes, planned or urgent.
Baghouse & Dust Collection
Bag changeouts, pulse-jet repair, ductwork and leak checks.
Industries across Northwest Indiana
Nearby service areas
Have a job in Northwest Indiana?
Send the equipment, the plant address and what you're seeing. A crew lead calls back with timing and next steps.
Who does SSI serve in Northwest Indiana?
SSI serves industrial plants across Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties from one shop in Portage. That includes steel mills and finishing lines on the lakefront, refractory producers, refining and chemical operations, power plants, food processors, and the machine shops and fabricators that supply them. One crew, one shop, the whole Region.
Each part of the Region asks for different work:
- Hammond and East Chicago run steel, refining and chemical processing close together near the state line. See Hammond and East Chicago.
- Gary and Burns Harbor carry the big integrated mills. See Gary and Burns Harbor.
- Portage and Chesterton hold the processors and supplier shops. See Portage and Chesterton.
- Valparaiso and Michigan City lean toward manufacturing and power. See Valparaiso and Michigan City.
Why does a central Portage shop matter when a line is down?
Most Northwest Indiana plants are within about 35 minutes of our Portage shop in normal traffic. When a line is down, that shortens the wait for a crew and for parts. A crew that is already close can be diagnosing while an out-of-area firm is still loading the truck.
| Area | Miles | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Burns Harbor | 6 | 10 |
| Chesterton | 10 | 15 |
| Gary | 13 | 20 |
| Valparaiso | 13 | 20 |
| East Chicago | 22 | 25 |
| Hammond | 26 | 30 |
| Michigan City | 28 | 35 |
These are estimates. Weather, trains and plant gate times change the real number. For a breakdown, call (219) 386-1506 or see our emergency page.
What does a Region plant get from one contractor?
You get a field crew and a machine shop under one roof. Our millwrights tear down the equipment. The shop rebuilds the gearbox, pump or drive, or builds the part new. The same crew reinstalls and aligns it. AWS certified welders handle on-site welding and fabrication without a second vendor.
That model also covers refractory press repair, roll changes and baghouse work. For a finished example, read the Gary steel mill retrofit.
How do we work safely inside Region plants?
Every job starts with a job hazard analysis (JHA). Our crews work under lockout/tagout, confined space, hot work and fall protection programs, and we follow your site rules on top of ours. We are an ISNetworld member and Avetta prequalified. Read more on our safety page. Farther west? See our Chicagoland service area.
Local questions
Northwest Indiana FAQs
What counts as Northwest Indiana for SSI?
We mean Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, the industrial lakefront from the Illinois state line to Michigan City, plus the inland towns along US-30 like Valparaiso. Our shop is in Portage, roughly in the middle, so most of the Region is a short drive. We also travel south to the Plymouth area.
Does SSI work inside the lakefront steel mills?
Yes. Steel is a core part of our work. Our crews handle millwright work, roll changes, rebuilds, laser alignment and on-site welding for mill equipment, and we completed a 3-week equipment retrofit at a steel manufacturing facility in Gary. We carry ISNetworld and Avetta prequalification, which most mill contractor programs require.
Can one contractor handle the repair, the parts and the restart?
That is how we prefer to work. Our field crew diagnoses the problem, our Portage machine shop makes or repairs the parts, and the same crew installs, aligns and tests the equipment. One contractor carries the job from tear-down to restart, so nothing gets lost between vendors.
Is your Northwest Indiana phone line really 24/7?
Yes. (219) 386-1506 is answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. Tell us what is down and where it is. We will tell you honestly when a crew can be on site, which depends on the job, the time of day, the weather and where the plant is.
Request service in Northwest Indiana
Tell us what's running rough. We'll tell you how fast we can be there.