History

After enlisting in the Navy from April 1944 to January 1946 and serving in WWII, Burdett Noblitt started Columbus Engineering Inc. in May of 1954.  He worked in an area that was 30′ x 60′ and had only one employee.  The company had 1 drill press, 1 welder, and 1 – 16′ bandsaw.

In 1955, the company was moved to 15 Brown Street in Columbus, Indiana.  The building was the former public service building before the 1900s.  The workspace included 2 – 40′ x 60′ bays.  An additional bay was later added for welding.  The business also grew in size and now had 8-10 employees working in the shop.  They purchased their first turret in 1974 and their first laser in 1994.  A 60′ x 120′ addition to the building was built in 1980.

Columbus Engineering Inc. moved to the current 6600 S. 50 W. location in 2000.  The building started with 30,000 square feet and added 10,500 more in 2004.  With the purchase of the adjacent building, Columbus Engineering has a total of 56,500 square feet.  The company currently employs 45 workers.