South Bend, home to the University of Notre Dame, has a long history of manufacturing. In the past, the city in northern Indiana hummed with large factories belonging to companies such as Bendix Corp. (automotive and aircraft brakes), Oliver Chilled Plow Works (agricultural equipment) and Studebaker Corp. (cars, trucks and wagons).
Today, that heritage is alive and well among large manufacturers such as AM General (military vehicles), Forest River Inc. (recreational vehicles), Lippert (recreational vehicle components), Tenneco (automotive parts) and Thor Motor Coach Inc. (recreational vehicles). But, many smaller firms also thrive in the area.