Reflecting urgent issues that dominated discussions nationwide in 2020-21, the Quad Cities Chamber this week honored a local Covid coalition and a St. Ambrose leader in diversity, equity and inclusion. The Chamber held its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 11, at Davenport’s Rhythm City Casino Resort. As part of annual awards, it recognized the Quad Cities Covid-19 Coalition as Business of the Year, and Ryan Saddler — St. Ambrose University’s first Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – as Volunteer of the Year. The coalition award honored contributions of the... Read More

Most struggling businesses only had to deal with a global pandemic last year. By the time of the mass shutdown in mid-March 2020, Ragged Records and Trash Can Annie’s in downtown Davenport were already closed about 42 weeks – forced out by the historic flooding in 2019. They’re finally ready to reopen at a new nearby building, 311 E. 2nd St., on Saturday, July 17. “It’s been a dream come true,” Laura Heath – who owns TCA, the vintage clothing, styling and photography business – said this week of the totally renovated space formerly occupied by Abernathy’s, which moved in... Read More

Most struggling businesses only had to deal with a global pandemic last year. By the time of the mass shutdown in mid-March 2020, Ragged Records and Trash Can Annie’s in downtown Davenport were already closed about 42 weeks – forced out by the historic flooding in 2019. They’re finally ready to reopen at a new nearby building, 311 E. 2nd St., on Saturday, July 17. “It’s been a dream come true,” Laura Heath – who owns TCA, the vintage clothing, styling and photography business – said this week of the totally renovated space formerly occupied by Abernathy’s, which moved in August... Read More

Today Q2030 co-chairs announced the hiring of Kate Jennings as the Executive Director for the newly created 501(c)3 stand-alone organization. Jennings will start August 2nd with a staff of one, a project manager. A community reception will be held in late August. Prior to joining Q2030, Jennings served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and District Director for Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. On her staff, she handled outreach and stakeholder management across a fourteen-county district, which mirrors the diverse communities, employers, challenges and opportunities of the Quad Cities region. Over the past... 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

Two local nonprofit institutions – the Figge Art Museum and United Way Quad Cities – are holding unique online auctions. The Figge (225 W. 2nd St., Davenport) is having its first “Art Off the Wall” auction, aiming to raise $15,000 for the museum and its mission “to bring art and people together through the healing power of art.” It first provided member-only access (Dec. 7-10) to bid on the 86 donated pieces of painting, sculpture, jewelry and other beautiful objects, and the public auction online will go through Sunday, said Tessa Pozzi, membership and database manager. All bidding... 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

QuadCities.com is offering a series of features running today between 2 and 5 p.m. showcasing local businesses in advance of Small Business Saturday, AND, in this case, Museum Store Sunday.  The Figge Art Museum Store and Putnam Museum Store will be participating in Museum Store Sunday on Sunday, Nov. 29 from noon-5 p.m. There are 1,600 Museum Stores representing all 50 states, 24 countries, and five continents participating in the promotion. The Figge Art Museum Store at 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport, has socks, jewelry, notebooks, masks with art pieces, wraps, throws, works by local artist, and... Read More

QuadCities.com is offering a series of features running today between 2 and 5 p.m. showcasing local businesses in advance of Small Business Saturday.  Lagomarcino’s in Moline and the Village of East Davenport has long been a sweet destination for Quad-Citians, and now it’s getting recognition statewide for its terrific treats. The Illinois Office of Tourism has an annual Illinois Made Holiday Gift Guide, featuring one-of-a-kind products by small businesses around the state – including the iconic Lagomarcino’s in downtown Moline. All products featured in this year’s gift guide... Read More

QuadCities.com is offering a series of features running today between 2 and 5 p.m. showcasing local businesses in advance of Small Business Saturday. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind item to cherish this holiday season, with the personality and charm of a watermark, you’ll want to check out  WaterMark Corners, a 21-year-old gift shop at 1500 River Drive, Moline. Amy Trimble, co-owner of the store, says she historically does half of their entire year’s business in the fourth quarter, between October and December, and a full 25 percent of their revenue is typically in December... Read More