QC That’s Where legacy companies lead the way in equipment manufacturing and food production

QC, That's Where we are leading and advancing targeted industries and creating economic development opportunities that tie our historic successes to businesses seeking new opportunities. Local becomes global here, a goal achieved by our powerful workforce who contribute to our healthy and growing economy.

Among those targeted industries is agricultural innovation, including equipment manufacturing and food production—a sector offering unique advantages. Companies such as Crawford Company, Sears Seating and Mama Bosso illustrate this potential, with their many branches connecting to form successful relationships in and outside of the Quad Cities.

Founded in 1952, Crawford Company in Rock Island is a familiar name in the Quad Cities. From the recognizable logo on the company’s fleet vehicles to the popular local brewery that bears its name, Crawford’s reach is broad – locally, nationally and globally. With 425 employees and 303,000 cumulative square feet over eight buildings in Rock Island, the company was named to the Quad Cities Business Journal’s 15 Fastest Growing Companies in 2022, 2023 and 2024.  Additionally in 2024, co-owner Ian Frink was named Regional Champion of Change by the Chamber. 

In the 2010s, because of their stainless and welding capabilities, and their knowledge of plumbing and piping, Crawford was approached by a local brewery to build a brew tank.  “We built our first system with Front Street Brewery and the brewing side of the business kind of took off from there. We've done systems all over the country, and now primarily in the Midwest for microbrewing,” said Emily Adams, Business Development Manager at Crawford.

And although she says the company has seen a bit of a plateau in the brewing industry lately, Adams said Crawford is successfully diversifying - something they’ve done well over the years.

“We’ve researched what else our stainless tanks can be used for, and we’ve gotten into biotech. We have stainless steel and food-grade materials, and we thought, ‘let's see where we can go with this.’” Crawford’s tanks are now being used in a process to help extract animal proteins from animal by-products. “We’re not making the final product, but we're helping with the process of making a final product for a company we’ve partnered with.”

Crawford brew tanks are also taking on another innovative use - washing rail cars. “We’re heating water up to a high, high temperature in the tank,” said Adams. “Then, the train pulls up, the cars are washed and they move along down the rail.”

Crawford also holds affiliations with Seaberg Industries, a turnkey manufacturer of machined parts, components and assemblies; and Monoxivent, an expert in exhaust extraction and fume extraction systems.

According to Frink, “In order to realize our potential as a community, it is imperative to view ourselves internally as one team," he said. "We must also present ourselves externally as one region. This is the mindset we have at Crawford Company, our team buys into the concept, and we incorporate regionalism into our strategic planning.”

Sears Seating, headquartered in Davenport, is also a familiar name in the Quad Cities - and like Crawford - a legacy company. But what many people don’t know is the incredible five generations of history the company holds. Established in 1855, the former Sears Manufacturing Company began by producing harnesses, saddles and other leather and canvas goods for the ag industry. They expanded to produce agricultural and industrial seats in 1947. With a reputation for supplying technologically advanced products made for comfort and durability, the company has been a leading manufacturer of suspension and non-suspension seating in the work vehicle industry for the past 75+ years.  

CSO, Steve Sears said, “Without question, our talented employees have been the most important asset to the business. Our broad range of technical skills and culture of customer focus and continuous improvement sets us apart from our competitors. This has been a key part of our resilience and growth since we started the business way back in 1855.”

Sears said the company’s longstanding relationship with John Deere and other global leaders in commercial vehicle markets has helped the company build the right processes and products and provided the basis for international growth. Their other key relationships include Caterpillar, Volvo, CNH, Peterbilt/Kenworth, Toyota, Komatsu, Claas and Hyster/Yale. He said that Sears Seating serves these customers from Davenport and from their manufacturing locations in the United Kingdom, Brazil, China and India.

When it comes to workforce and quality of life, Sears said, “The Quad Cities provides all the resources of a medium-sized city, but with a special connection to commercial vehicles and the industrial skills that are so important to our business,” he said, noting that the Quad Cities has a large industrial skilled workforce. “Members of our workforce grew up operating and repairing the types of equipment we supply today; others have gained skills in our local manufacturing base and on local family farms. Plus, we are a great place to raise a family. We have top-ranked public schools, a relatively low cost of living and many exciting cultural and outdoor activities.”

Scott Florence, owner of Great River Brewery, knows a thing or two about Quad Cities activities. The popular GRB patio in Downtown Davenport is once again a QC hot spot for locally brewed beers and pizza - with connections to local resources. In his brewery are both Crawford Company brew tanks, and dough from another local business, Mama Bosso - which Florence also owns.

“Mama Bosso has been in the QCs since 1962. I bought the business in 2013, and our pizzas are now available in the frozen food sections of grocery stores throughout Iowa, Northwest Illinois and Southwest Wisconsin.” He said the company uses traditional ingredients such as malt syrup, high protein flour and traditional processes that make the dough unique.

Florence said a lot of research went into the business model for the GRB pizzas using the Mama Bosso ingredients. “After considering the options - thin crust, Quad Cities style, tavern-style -we decided to use Mama Bosso dough because it’s something people in the QCs really like. We’ve added some delicious new toppings and combinations that are very popular, including herbs and fresh mozzarella." Great River also offers giant pretzels and bruschetta, also made from the Mama Bosso product, that's delivered fresh from a truck that’s just minutes away at their production facility in Rock Island. Florence hopes to sell take and bake and frozen Great River-branded pizzas at the brewery for people in the neighborhood, and eventually wants to take that business model to local grocery stores, along with Great River beers and sodas.

According to Florence, investing in the downtown and bringing back a local favorite was important to him – using products he and his customers are familiar with. “We’re extremely grateful to be here, and that’s what we hear from everyone who comes in. It’s not economic, it’s emotional.”

Read for about legacy companies Electro Freeze and Nestle Purina.