Noble County is not only home to large industries, including manufacturing and agriculture, but it also welcomes innovative entrepreneurs and small businesses. In Noble County, businesses benefit from easy access to a transportation infrastructure through which products can be shipped by air, rail, or highway and an education system dedicated to meeting existing and emerging workforce needs. Conveniently located, Noble County provides easy access to six of the nation’s longest highways. Major employers include Dexter Axle, Carlex, Kraft Heinz, Creative Liquid Coatings, Inc, Tenneco and TI Automotive.
Noble County is a welcoming place for innovative entrepreneurs and small business.
The county seat of Albion, voted home to one of Indiana’s Best Main Streets, is a friendly, thriving small town. Albion is near some of the county’s top amenities, including Chain O’Lakes State Park and Black Pine Animal Sanctuary. The historic downtown, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is anchored by the Noble County Courthouse, voted one of the ten most beautiful in Indiana. The courthouse square is flanked by many unique local shops and restaurants. Major industrial employers include the county’s largest, Dexter Axle, as well as Mobex Global, Bosch Automotive Motor Systems and Parker Hannifin
Noble County’s fastest-growing community is Avilla, a thriving bedroom community located just minutes from Fort Wayne. Progressive planning brought the county’s newest industrial park to Avilla’s east side, an 80-acre development located just 7.5 miles from I-69. Avilla’s employers include Indiana Phoenix, Dekko and Kautex.
Downtown Avilla is anchored by the St. James Restaurant, the county’s premier five-star, locally owned restaurant and bar since 1948. A beautiful new streetscape, completed in 2020, provides walkability between the quiet, historic downtown neighborhood, shops, restaurants and parks, and the busier commercial district located along busy State Road 3 on the town’s east side. Residential growth in Avilla has outpaced that of any other Noble County community in recent years.
Kendallville, Noble County’s largest population center, is conveniently located in Northeast Indiana 11 miles from Interstate 69, and a half-hour drive from the Indiana Toll Road. Located at the crossroads of State Road 3 and U.S. 6, Kendallville’s central location makes travel easy across the state and region. The Norfolk Southern rail line runs through Kendallville and is utilized by local manufacturers for freight transportation. Kendallville’s East Industrial Park is home to employers including Hendrickson, Graphic Packaging and Creative Liquid Coatings. Kraft Heinz, maker of all of the caramels sold in the nation, and Flint and Walling have also operated in Kendallville for decades.
Outdoor recreation is a big part of life in Kendallville. Noble Trails has connected Kendallville to locations north and enhanced walkability in the city, providing residents easy access to Bixler Lake, featuring a 530-acre park, a 117-acre lake for fishing, boating, and swimming, campground, kayak rentals, disc golf and more. Kendallville’s Outdoor Recreation Complex provides an 89-acre world-class facility that welcomes local sports leagues, tournaments and special events with parking for 700 cars. The Community Learning Center, a repurposed former school, provides a variety of workforce, hobby, cultural and other programs and houses several social service organizations Kendallville was named a PreservINg Main Street Pilot Community in 2021, earning its Main Street America affiliate organization a $2 million grant to further leverage a new, $2 million streetscape project. Featuring one of the finest, contiguous, and intact historic districts anywhere, several preservation and humanities projects are planned. From the historic downtown to new residential growth, Kendallville is a growing, thriving community with an abundance of local resources and outstanding community support.
As the second-largest city in Noble County, Ligonier ranks first in the concentration of jobs in manufacturing, more than 3,500, and is home to a booming manufacturing sector. Ligonier is also one of Indiana’s most “connected” communities, with 98% of addresses having access to fiberoptic, high-speed internet thanks to Ligtel Communications, founded in 1896 and still locally owned. Major employers include Carlex, Silgan Plastics and Forest River. Annie Oakley Perfumery, one of only a few organic perfumeries in the nation, is also located in Ligonier.
Ligonier offers its residents amenities like the Strawberry Valley Cultural Trail, providing walkability and connectivity between residences, industrial parks, and historic downtown. Kenney Park features gardens, a splash pad, sports and recreation, and disc golf. The Elkhart River flows through this City of Murals with over 40 murals and past a thriving summer Farmer’s Market. The city is extraordinary for its Jewish heritage and diverse demographic. Over 50 percent of the population is Hispanic and many Amish call Ligonier home.
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