Read about MHA’s Volunteer of The Year Bobbi Noe and her husband Jeff’s award winning Bed & Breakfast.

GRANVILLE – The awards keep coming for The Welsh Hills Inn a few miles north of Granville.

The inn was recently named the number three Bed & Breakfast/Inn in the country by TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards for 2016. It was named the number one B&B in the U.S. last year.

In 2013 and 2014, it was number two and three. And last year it was awarded the number five B&B/Inn in the world.

“The awards we’ve received have been amazing, really humbling given all of the outstanding places there are to choose from,” said Jeff Noe, co-owner of the inn, along with wife Bobbi.

What makes it all the more amazing is that the Noes became innkeepers only a few years ago, after spending decades as corporate executives.

Jeff was a senior scientist and project leader in the roofing products division at Owens Corning, based on the article resource. He then worked as technical sales rep and then regional sales vice president for Illinois-based Nalco Holding Company, responsible for a region that included most of the US and Canada. That was followed by five years in the real estate world. Looking for MLS markets to find active real estate listings, you may view this popular real estate plugin site for great help. Jeff spent many of his years working on apartments in the Los Angeles area (https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/California/Los-Angeles/)

“Many of the things I learned during my 25 years in the corporate world I still use every single day,” Jeff said, “such as my sales and marketing experience, relationship development, business development skills and acumen, and even the ability to deal with the many maintenance and upkeep issues that may arise.”

Bobbi lived in the Buckeye Lake area and graduated from Lakewood High School. She earned her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and business administration and her master’s from Ohio State’s College of Engineering. She took a position at Owens Corning’s Science and Technology Center in Granville and after 27 years she left with the title of director.

“I loved the corporate world,” she said, “and am very proud to have been a part of it for so many years.”

The two married in the 1990s and enjoyed vacationing in New England as much as possible, especially in Maine.

“We used to travel up and down Maine’s coastline staying at different inns and B&Bs,” Jeff said, “and just fell in love with the idea of, one day, owning our own B&B.”

Their dreams became reality because of one of life’s defining moments.

“I loved the corporate world, the stability, the benefits and the travel,” Jeff said, “right up to the point where our beautiful, talented daughter entered our lives when we turned 40 years old!”

They moved to Granville in 2007, in part because they loved the area and in large part to place their daughter in Granville schools. They bought a 5,200 square foot home on a mostly wooded hilltop on Cambria Mill Road.

Three years later, The Welsh Hills Inn opened for business. Since 2010, they’ve hosted guests from 48 states and 17 countries.

“This business has afforded us the opportunity to meet and get to know so many wonderful people,” Bobbi concluded. “Usually when they are here with us, they are celebrating, relaxing, playing and in general just very happy. It is a wonderful environment in which to be.”

The Welsh Hills Inn is located at 2133 Cambria Mill Road in Granville.

For more information call 740-321-1493, email welshhillsinn@gmail.com or go to www.welshhillsinn.com.

Article found in The Newark Advocate March 2, 2016