Quad Cities Chamber Blog

Each fall, the Quad Cities Chamber asks members to complete a brief survey to gain insights on the issues facing the business community. The FY2025 Public Policy Survey aims to get to the heart of what the business community finds valuable and necessary in the areas of economic growth, quality of place, talent attraction and more. The deadline to complete the survey is September 20.

Median home prices grew by over 14% in the Quad Cities metro area in the four quarters ending March 2024, and building permits were above the average of the last eight years. While prices are rising, the median home price is still affordable. This week, we look at the drivers of supply and demand in the housing market and how they affect the short-term outlook.

The Quad Cities Chamber will focus its business and economic growth strategies in three key areas: strategic partnerships, marketing and site development. These strategic focus areas were identified as a result of a 6-month site readiness study and evaluation conducted by Hickey Global, a full-service economic development consulting firm.

The Quad Cities Manufacturing Institute (QCMI), has launched. This groundbreaking partnership between the University of Illinois, Western Illinois University and Iowa State University aims to create a thriving research and innovation ecosystem that directly benefits local businesses, communities and the workforce.

The Chamber is pleased to announce the names of 22 young professionals who have been named to its 2024 Generation Next cohort. Generation Next is the premier resource helping individuals become involved in the QC community through board and committee service.

For the last two weeks, we have considered the risk of recession in the U.S. as well as the effect of recent economic developments on the Quad Cities area. This week, we wrap up that series with a discussion of the latest comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell and why our recent brush with inflation did not end like it did in the '70s.

A group of national site consultants noted that our region has a strong and skilled labor pool, extensive experience in metals manufacturing, a wealth of legacy businesses and vital access to raw materials, during a recent Familiarization "Fam" Tour conducted by the Quad Cities Chamber. The group also said they were impressed with the cooperation between the two states for the betterment of our region. 

While the agricultural and manufacturing sectors have experienced a slowdown this year, the strong national economy has provided support for the regional economy. This week, we explain some of the reasons behind the weakness of certain sectors and how they affect the Quad Cities economy. In addition, we look at factors that could swing the pendulum back in the other direction over time and why economic resilience at the national level is so important at the local level.

Financial markets were up and down like a roller coaster last week. However, by the end of the week most analysts were feeling better about the economy than they were at the start. While this is evidence that the economy continues to be stronger than many analysts are willing to admit, one recession indicator is flashing a warning signal. This week, we explain what that recession indicator is and why the market volatility was driven by factors other than simply recession risk.

The Chamber extends a warm welcome to the businesses that became members in July.

The Quad Cities Chamber honored Oertel Metal Works, a McCarthy-Bush Company, as Business of the Year at the 2024 Annual Meeting. Headquartered in Davenport, the company's unwavering commitment to continuous improvement, regional focus and community engagement has earned it this award. Oertel Metal Works, a full-service metal fabrication shop in business for 36 years, now employs 88 workers and over the past two years has invested several millions of dollars in capital equipment to improve operations and add new services. The 76% increase in staff over the last 24 months, includes nearly all new management. The company’s commitment to transparent communication, bottom-up engagement and positive work culture has resulted in a 50% increase in revenue. 

The Regional Champion of Change award was presented to Ian Frink of Crawford Company during the 2024 Chamber Annual Meeting. Frink is the co-owner of Quad Cities legacy company, Crawford Company, and co-owner of the well-known Quad Cities brewery and restaurant, Crawford Brew Works. He's also owner of Seaberg Industries, a turnkey manufacturer of machined parts, components and assemblies; and owner of Monoxivent, an expert in exhaust extraction and fume extraction systems. Frink has long been a proponent of business and economic growth and is a champion for regionalism in our area.

This year’s Volunteer of the Year award was posthumously presented to Larry Makoben, a longtime Chamber Ambassador and friend, who passed away in January. The award was accepted by his family.

The Quad Cities Chamber celebrated major accomplishments over the last year including business expansion projects totaling $122.7 million in economic impact, launching the Generation Next program to…

Job growth has been slowing recently both locally and across the country, and the most recent employment report caused some anxiety on Wall Street. The Federal Reserve looks increasingly likely to begin cutting rates next month. This week, we discuss the latest job numbers with an update on employment and unemployment in the Quad Cities.

Generation Next is a Chamber program aiming to transform aspiring professionals into influential community leaders primed to advance the Quad Cities region. Are you thinking about getting involved in a business, government or a nonprofit organization? Generation Next could be the next step in this journey.

There was good news on economic growth and inflation in the U.S. for the second quarter. Real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 2.8% while the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation over the last twelve months is now down to 2.5%. What sectors saw the best growth, and what signs of weakness were there in the report? This week we answer these questions and explain why this news strengthens the case for interest rate cuts soon.

Our regional brand encapsulates our identity, audience and the image we want to project. And your involvement helps us showcase the very best of our community. Use our hashtags to share what you love about the QCs: #QCSummerLove, #QCThatsWhere and #VisitQuadCities

U.S. industrial production was up slightly in June, but the gains were distributed unevenly across different sectors of the economy. What sectors saw the most growth? We examine that question this week and consider how this impacts the Quad Cities manufacturing economy.

The Chamber's 2024 InternQC program is bringing young people together for summer networking and an introduction to the lifestyle and amenities of the region. The program hosts a series of events that showcases the best of the Quad Cities, including local favorites along with various community happenings. It is a partnership that advances workforce attraction and retention for our region and for businesses.