Target Industries

Northeast Indiana and Fort Wayne has a community of hard workers who can count on one another. Our building blocks are the creativity and reliability of our businesses and industries. Dependability is in our DNA, and that creates a unique climate for your business’ growth. Our diverse industries are why our business landscape is so fruitful. This is good soil. Don’t let us just tell you. Let us show you. Here’s a snapshot of our target industries:

Defense & High-Tech Communications

Northeast Indiana is an ambitious and driven region. We are remarkably strong in our determination to turn ideas into opportunities and innovations. Our industry leaders at BAE Systems, Raytheon, Riverside Manufacturing and Harris Corporation bring in millions of dollars every year, employ thousands of specialized personnel, and develop products that change our world. It’s an exciting time for this industry, and Fort Wayne is an exciting place to be.

In 2015, BAE Systems unveiled a $39 million state-of-the-art facility in Fort Wayne, citing Indiana’s environment and workforce as its reason to invest in the region. The same year, Raytheon in Fort Wayne secured a $36 million contract with the U.S. Army to upgrade communication systems.

Food Processing

Our thriving food-processing sector continues to advance companies throughout Northeast Indiana and Fort Wayne. Our steadily growing concentration of food and agriculture businesses represent nearly the entire food-delivery chain, giving companies located here—and those looking to move here—marked advantages. The industry here is diverse and well supported by an abundance of agricultural products and cost-effective, readily available natural resources.

Insurance

Northeast Indiana is a founding place for successful insurance companies fueled by innovative product lines. From the beginning, our region has been home to an expanding specialty insurance industry. There are incentives to adding your businesses to our cluster too. Tax exemptions and credits, employee training, and a positive regulatory climate welcome new insurance companies to the region regularly.

Are you ready to land your business in a historically tried-and-true insurance sector? There’s a place for your business among the juggernauts.

Logistics

Welcome to the Crossroads of America. Located in the heart of the Midwest, Northeast Indiana’s logistics companies provide services and goods to customers throughout the United States and parts of Canada.

Our logistics industry in the Fort Wayne area is strong and continues to grow with our businesses. Our top-tier businesses, such as Kroger, Sweetwater Sound, Walmart, and Family Dollar, all deliver goods from their Northeast Indiana–based distribution centers.

Medical Devices

As a leader in the $45 billion orthopedic and biologics industry, our region’s production of medical devices earned Warsaw, Indiana, the title of “Orthopedic Capital of the World.” Our industry leaders include Zimmer Biomet, DePuy Synthes, Medtronic, and more. Our medical-device industry is growing, and your business could be too.

If you’re looking into expanding your business to the Orthopedic Capital of the World, just let the numbers explain why it makes smart business:

Medical-device companies in Northeast Indiana control 34 percent of the worldwide orthopedic market. That’s $12 billion in revenue.
When combined, the medical-device companies in the Fort Wayne area control 60 percent of the $6.6 billion worldwide hip-replacement market and 64 percent of the $6.7 billion worldwide knee-replacement market.
The spinal-implant divisions of Northeast Indiana’s orthopedic companies hold more than 20 percent market share in the $7.3 billion spine-surgery market.
Employment in medical equipment and supplies manufacturing is almost 11 times more concentrated in Northeast Indiana than in the rest of the country.

Vehicles

Northeast Indiana and Fort Wayne have a history of innovation and manufacturing in the automotive sector. We’ve produced some of the first cars—such as the Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg—as well as some of the earliest trucks by International Harvester. Today, the Fort Wayne area continues to have a very high concentration of vehicle manufacturing making up more than 20 percent of the manufacturing employment in the region.

The Fort Wayne region continues to have a very high concentration of vehicle manufacturing, with those jobs making up 19.9 percent of the manufacturing employment compared to 13 percent for the United States.

Interested in learning more about our target industries? Click here.