Iowa

By John G. Ruhl, NAI Ruhl Commercial Co. People are always surprised when they learn how many communities are part of the Quad Cities since they think it stops with just four towns. For the record, there are 58. The bi-state region includes Moline, East Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, as the main core cities. The Quad Cities is the largest metro area between St. Louis and Minneapolis on the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River was the main reason for this region’s initial growth historically since it was an important distribution channel. John Deere moved his base of operation to Moline, Illinois, in 1848 to utilize the river’s power for manufacturing and transportation of goods. The world headquarters of Deere & Co. are still based here, along with many of its factories and distribution centers, making it the region’s largest employer. Several other Fortune 500 companies have a major presence in this region, including Arconic, 3M, Nestle-Purina and Kraft Heinz.   The Quad Cities has always been led by smaller manufacturers, suppliers and service providers supporting our major employers and the regional economy. More than 1,200 manufacturers from all industry sectors are based in the …

By Scott Olson, Skogman Commercial As the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa celebrates its 175th year in 2024, the growth momentum and success continues despite a derecho, pandemic and high interest rates that have impacted the state and our nation. The city continues to reach new heights, becoming one of the few communities in the nation to have all of its major city service departments obtaining accreditations from leading industry-specific agencies. Currently, the departments certified include: • Parks and Recreation Department • Fire Department • Police Department • Public Works • Public Library • Building Service Department Code     • Enforcement Division Public Works passed accreditation with a 100 percent score with 11 of its policies selected to be used as models for other cities. The Code Enforcement Division had the highest score to date and is only the ninth city to have this certification. But, just as impressive is the city’s most recent national rankings: • No. 23 city with the lowest cost of living in America (niche.com, 2024) • No. 41 best place to live in America (livabililty, 2024) • No. 45 happiest city in America (wallethub, 2024) • No. 13 best city to buy a house …