The morning after he gave a visionary talk on repurposing the I-80 bridge across the Mississippi River, Chad Pregracke was back at the Rust Belt Friday to push the process of gathering public support for the planned Bison Bridge. Jake Ford, director of government affairs with the Quad Cities Chamber, led a morning legislative forum on the project with Pregracke, president/founder of Living Lands & Waters; Matthew Hughes, consultant with MRH Solutions, Kevin Marchek, retired engineer from the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson. Before the meeting, Quad... Read More

A little ol’ thing like a global pandemic didn’t stop companies from growing and building in the Quad-Cities and Clinton areas in 2020. Recent investment in the six counties along the Mississippi River, including the Q-C region, has been recognized by Site Selection Magazine as part of its 2020 Governor’s Cup Awards. The economic development publication annually ranks metropolitan and micropolitan areas by number of projects per capita and total number of projects. The Q-C and Clinton areas earned high rankings for project growth in the Mississippi River Corridor, awarded to the top metro... Read More

Things are looking up for KONE Corporation’s Quad-Cities manufacturing plant, as the firm has landed a huge contract to provide 130 new energy-efficient escalators across the Washington, D.C. region. KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry with operations in Coal Valley, on U.S. 6, recently won a $179-million, seven-year contract from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to modernize and replace escalators in 32 Metrorail stations. The company’s escalator plant in Coal Valley will produce equipment for the project, which is expected to be completed... Read More

As it does for downtown Davenport and Bettendorf, the Quad Cities Chamber is contracting with the city of Rock Island to provide downtown place management services. “Revitalizing our downtown area is a key component to economic growth opportunities for the city, which is why we’re excited to bring this public/private partnership forward,” Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms said Tuesday. “Bringing people, new events, activities and vibrancy to downtown Rock Island also brings increased revenue, improved quality of life and greater value for existing assets. That’s why it’s so important for... Read More

As it does for downtown Davenport and Bettendorf, the Quad Cities Chamber is looking to contract with the city of Rock Island to provide downtown place management services. On Monday, Jan. 25, at 6:45 p.m., the Rock Island City Council will discuss the issue at Council Chambers (3rd Floor), 1528 3rd Ave., Rock Island. You can also watch the meeting at www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandIL/live. “Revitalizing our downtown area is a key component to economic growth opportunities for the city, which is why we’re excited to bring this public/private partnership forward,” Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms... Read More

A cool quarter-million dollars sure sounds like a nice Christmas present. Katie Wilson and her team at Davenport-based TapOnIt, a messaging technology company, are certainly celebrating the hard-won gift. The five-and-a-half-year-old firm – which Wilson founded with her sister Sara Castillo — was recently awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Propel fund award by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board. TapOnIt provides a platform that enables businesses to reach, engage and convert opted-in customers through personalized multi-channel messaging, known as TapOnIt Technology.... Read More

There are just 28 days left in this nightmare of a year. But will 2021 really be much better? Yes, but we’ll need to be patient, according to an economic forecast Thursday presented by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. “Pivot and acceleration are two new favorite words in our dictionary,” Paul Rumler, chamber president/CEO, said before the formal virtual presentation, done online. “The Quad Cities Chamber has pivoted very aggressively this year to meet the increased demand,” he said. “We are so gratified to hear about your resiliency and determination to fight through 2020, and be... Read More

The Quad Cities Chamber is calling on Q-C and State of Illinois elected officials to support allowing bars and restaurants to serve customers indoors in a safe and responsible manner. The State of Illinois has placed additional restrictions on businesses starting Wednesday because of increased Covid-19 positivity rates across the state and region. While most businesses can continue to operate without further adjustments, bars and restaurants are being targeted with additional restrictions despite adapting their practices based on Covid-19 guidelines, according to quadcitieschamber.com. “As colder... Read More

Next time you hop on Amazon to buy something online, consider keeping your money in the Quad-Cities. That’s the thrust of a new campaign from the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, which has launched “Keep It QC,” to bring awareness to the power of doing business locally. According to Chamber representatives, buying local has many tangible economic benefits for the region, in addition to helping area businesses rebound faster from the financial impact of Covid-19. “Keep It QC is about educating members of our community about why buying local should be the first choice every time,” Erin... Read More

The Quad-Cities Chamber is offering some help for local businesses trying to navigate their way through the complications of the covid-19 era. “There are a lot of financial resources out there right now – federal, two states, local programs, tax credits, grants – it’s hard to know where to start,” Jenelle Wolber, Director of Economic Development Services, says. “Let’s have a conversation! Let’s talk about your business, what you’re interested in from an assistance perspective and what might be available to you. I look forward to talking to you.” Contact... Read More