Food Manufacturing Booming in Quad Cities Region

Drivers

• Food manufacturing for both people and pets in the region continued to boom. This included cannabis production.
• Business attraction projects in the food manufacturing sector continued to fill the pipeline for the region. Local expansion plans also included dry and cold storage space. 
• Consumers continued to eat more at home rather than at restaurants, resulting in increased sales and the need for companies to expand locally and/or expand into new markets.
• As the pandemic continued, company innovation was growing as consumers became more focused on foods that will improve both physical and mental health.

Drawbacks

• Food manufacturers have indicated that due to increased sales and lack of available workforce, it was sometimes difficult to keep up with production. Companies were considering more automation that will improve employee and food safety, increase production speed and overcome workforce shortages.