Noble continues family tomato factory in Tipton County

HOBBS - Mark Noble paused for a moment.

To the left, a group of women sorted through thousands of tomatoes coming through the conveyor belt. Just ahead of him other workers controlled the machine as it placed the seasoning of choice on the recently diced fruit. The canned products swirled above his head and would eventually fill an entire warehouse, to be shipped to various vendors over the next nine months.

"Most everything you see here I built. So there's a lot of pride involved in that," Noble said.

It's taken him nearly 20 years to upgrade the family-run canning company.

"I guess it's all I ever wanted to do," he said.

Noble has spent most of his adult life working at Ray Bros. & Noble Canning Co. Now he's fighting to keep the business going.

His grandfather opened the business in 1925. Then there were more than 200 tomato factories in Indiana. Today there are only three. Given the trend, Noble said he's not sure how they've managed to keep the business running.

"I'm just stubborn I guess," he said.

From August through October, nearly 65 migrant workers come to Hobbs to help harvest and can the tomatoes. Noble typically arrives at the factory around 6:30 a.m. and doesn't leave until 9 p.m.

During that time, operations are in full swing. While a small number of workers harvest tomatoes from the family farm, several oversee the machines as the tomatoes are prepared for upcoming customers.

The tomatoes are washed, peeled and washed again before being canned.

Noble said he appreciates the job the migrant workers do.

"If it wasn't for them, it would be impossible to run this plant," he said.

Noble said it's hard to find local workers who are willing to take a job that only lasts 8 to 10 weeks. The base pay for the workers is $6.50, he said.

While Noble oversees production in the factory, his sister Tami Noble Brown runs the administration of the business and deals with clientele. Unlike Noble, Brown left Tipton for 30 years before returning to the family business.

They find a number of ways to diversify the products. From regular canned whole and diced tomatoes, Ray Brothers and Noble Canning Factory also produces specialty products such as tomatoes with chiles, and tomatoes with Italian and Mexican seasoning.

While Brown understands that a consolidated company has its benefits, she sees the upside of a small business.

"Being small we have a lot of control," she said.

She said about 90 percent to 95 percent of all canned tomatoes are from their family farm.

While Brown and Noble want to continue the family business, they aren't sure whether they'll pass it down to their children.

Brown said she feels fairly certain her teenage boys won't be interested. Noble has three children in their early 20s, two of them live out of state.

"I encouraged them to get out and see the rest of the world while they can," he said.

But he wants to keep the family business running just in case they want to take it over some day.

"I hope it's still here for them."