- High paying occupations: 80% of defense positions pay an average hourly wage of $25 or more
- The Mississippi River offers sustainable power, and the Rock Island Arsenal draws 30% of its power from hydroelectric sources
- Foreign Trade Zone
- Laborshed workforce 581,296
The Rock Island Arsenal: A Vital Part of Our Nation's Defense
The Quad Cities region boasts several major defense companies and the Rock Island Arsenal, which is home to over 60 Department of Defense organizations and private companies with a global impact.
The Rock Island Arsenal is the only full-service Army installation in Iowa, Illinois or Minnesota and houses the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC), the Department of Defense’s only vertically integrated manufacturing operation. It also includes the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, United States Army Sustainment Command, and serves as the headquarters for First United States Army. The Rock Island Arsenal supports upwards of 54,000 active & reserve components, retired military, civilian employees, and family members within a 150-mile radius. It impacts over 15,000 jobs and has a $1.2 billion impact on the local economy
According to EMSI, the Quad Cities’ federal government sector is comprised of 5,068 civilian and 1,822 military public sector workers and 1,051 private-sector workers. The average Defense worker earns approximately $91,600 annually. The Federal Government, Civilian, Excluding Postal Service sub-sector had $7.4 billion in exports in 2017.
Other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing growth over the past decade is representative of the competitive advantage the QC provides for defense contractors. Over the last decade (2008-2018), Quad Cities’ aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing subsector added over 350 jobs for a 98% growth rate.
Industry Advantages
Key Companies
- Cobham Mission Systems
- Lewis Machine & Tool
- Mandus Group
- Rock Island Arsenal
- Rock River Arms
- SAIC
- Springfield Armory Inc.