Defense
Photo of humvee

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

  • 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

Key Companies

  • Cobham Mission Systems
  • Lewis Machine & Tool
  • Mandus Group
  • Rock Island Arsenal
  • Rock River Arms
  • SAIC
  • Springfield Armory Inc.
Chris Caves
Contact
Chris Caves
Vice President, Business & Economic Growth
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QC, That's Where?
A Connection to the World!

The QC is the heart of the Midwest, connected by one of the world’s most renowned rivers, the Mississippi and the regional towns it gave birth to over the centuries.

Five major cities make up the Quad Cities metro: Bettendorf and Davenport Iowa, East Moline, Moline and Rock Island Illinois. The entire QC is a family of communities in a six-county bi-state region: Clinton, Muscatine and Scott Counties in Iowa & Henry, Mercer and Rock Island Counties in Illinois. It's within a 300-mile radius of 41 million people with close access to major markets: Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City and Indianapolis.

QC offers an open-minded network and drive that make the region a hub of ambition; with an opportunity to live in a place that’s as genuine as it is quirky, where you can start something and make a difference, and enjoy the well-being of an authentic community along with the freedom of connection to the world. 

Map of the Quad Cities region
The heart of the Midwest
QC, That's Where? It's where two states and one mighty Mississippi River are home to a family of communities making the Midwest's future.