Wabash County is located 45 miles southwest of Fort Wayne. The county’s proximity to major highways, Class 1 rail and international airports make it easily accessible for businesses and residents. Wabash County is home to two college campuses, Ivy Tech Community College and Manchester University, as well as Heartland Career Center and the Learn More Center. Together, these institutions provide pathways to lifelong learning and training while they help ensure the success of Wabash County’s businesses. Living Essentials, Ford Meter Box Company, HF Group, Paperworks Industries, Nicholas Precision Works, Owens-Corning and many other manufacturers call Wabash home. In the summer of 2016, Wabash beat out nearly 10,000 other small towns to win a revitalization contest, netting $500,000 worth of marketing services, business advice and other support.
Wabash is cultivating a reputation as a hotspot for education, healthcare and its bustling downtowns
In Wabash, life is all about big amenities in a small-town atmosphere. Wabash is home to the Honeywell Foundation, which was established in 1941 by industrialist Mark C. Honeywell. Today, the Foundation continues Honeywell’s vision to provide social, artistic, recreational and cultural opportunities for everyone in the region. The Honeywell Foundation operates many quality-of-life assets in Wabash, including the Honeywell Center, the Honeywell House, Eagles Theatre, the James Ford Home, Charley Creek Gardens,and other amenities that provide a chance to experience Wabash’s rich history. The Wabash County Historical Museum is spectacular, and the new Wabash County YMCA is state-of-the-art. Wabash has white-tablecloth dining at Twenty, in the beautifully restored 30-room boutique hotel—the Charley Creek Inn—and dozens of small retail shops in the vibrant downtown area. The 13-24 Drive In is operated by the Honeywell Foundation, and admission is free for kids 12 and under, thanks to the generous sponsorship of local business INGUARD. In addition to its neighborly downtown, Wabash has a diverse economy, with both manufacturing and healthcare supporting the growing community development. Wabash also boasts a large fiber-optic network and gigabit internet available to residents and business owners.
Home to Manchester University, a liberal-arts university with a well-known College of Pharmacy located 35 miles east in Fort Wayne, North Manchester is a vibrant and creative community with a vision to grow. With a well-known Peace Studies program, Manchester University recruits internationally from countries such as Ethiopia and Ghana. The university’s presence has provided a rich collection of cultural assets, including the city’s historic neighborhoods and downtown center. Frequently, the community works closely with the university to build a culture of entrepreneurialism and innovation. North Manchester also gets an ecotourism boost from the Salamonie and Mississinewa reservoirs. Major employers in North Manchester include Peabody Retirement Community, HF Group and Timbercrest Senior Living Community.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the region’s business climate and what it’s like to live in Northeast Indiana.
