I have nothing but positive comments about the quality of your targets, your ability to meet delivery dates, and your customer service. I especially enjoy working with Denise as she and Calienté always deliver.
Calienté Named Small Business of the Year by Greater Fort Wayne, Inc.
Caliente’s James Blake, Denise Lyons, and Mike Kelly represented Caliente at the 2026 Greater Fort Wayne Incorporated Annual Meeting
Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. recently recognized northeast Indiana businesses for their contributions to economic growth, innovation, and community impact. And Calienté was one of the honorees, being named Small Business of the Year.
For Calienté LLC, the honor comes during a landmark year. The company is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, marking a quarter century of delivering engineered heating solutions for OEMs operating in some of the world’s most demanding environments.
Calienté was recognized for its sustained growth, commitment to innovation, and leadership in advanced thermal management solutions. Receiving the award during its 25th anniversary year makes the recognition especially meaningful, highlighting both the company’s accomplishments over the past quarter century and its continued momentum into the future.
Founded in 2001, Calienté began by developing innovative heating solutions for the telecommunications industry. The company’s early work helped customers reduce energy consumption and system costs while improving reliability in outdoor and mission-critical installations. That focus on efficiency, performance, and problem-solving established the foundation for continued expansion into new industries and applications.
Today, Calienté serves customers across transportation and electrification, defense and military training, telecommunications and outdoor electronics, medical devices, and industrial packaging. Its thermal management technologies—including heating elements, thermoelectric cooling systems, sensors, and control systems—help organizations improve performance while reducing energy consumption and operating costs.
A key factor in Calienté’s continued success is its integrated design-to-manufacturing approach. The company provides thermal modeling, engineering design, testing, manufacturing, and system integration under one roof, allowing it to deliver highly customized solutions and build long-term customer relationships. This end-to-end capability has become a significant competitive advantage, helping customers solve complex thermal challenges while creating lasting partnerships.
Calienté’s core product portfolio centers around flexible pad heaters and advanced thermal systems. In transportation and electric vehicle applications, the company’s solutions support battery pack thermal management, cabin and fluid heating, and defogging and de-icing systems for cameras and sensors. In defense markets, Calienté supplies thermal targets and platform heating solutions used in training and readiness applications. Telecom, medical, and industrial customers rely on the company’s technologies for enclosure heating and cooling, battery warming, and precise temperature control in regulated and outdoor environments.
Caliente was named Small Business of the Year by Greater Fort Wayne Inc.
The Small Business of the Year recognition also reflects Calienté’s commitment to operational excellence and quality. The company’s ISO 9001:2015 certification demonstrates a strong focus on quality management and continuous improvement. Its previous recognition as Indiana’s Small Business Exporter of the Year further highlights its ability to compete globally while diversifying markets and customer relationships.
Under the leadership of Founder and President Mike Kelly, Calienté has built a culture centered on innovation, servant leadership, and customer service. Those values continue to resonate with customers across industries.
Military Range Officer
Fort Benning
As Calienté celebrates 25 years in business, the Small Business of the Year award serves as a fitting recognition of the company’s journey from a telecommunications-focused startup to a trusted thermal solutions partner serving customers around the world. With a diversified customer base, a reputation for engineering excellence, and continued investment in innovative thermal management technologies, Calienté is well positioned to build on its first 25 years and continue delivering value for customers well into the future.
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