Conducting the Daily Work of Economic Development

The RAEDC increases the awareness of our region through the daily work of economic development nationally and globally.

As part of the daily work of economic development the RAEDC attends and exhibits at trade shows and conferences throughout the year to promote our region to decision makers as an ideal place for relocation or expansion.

Through these events, the RAEDC cultivates business attraction opportunities that lead to primary job growth, which in turn increases the economic well-being of our region.

RAEDC participation also increases the awareness of the Rockford Region amongst potential businesses and promotes some of the region’s strengths. These include our ideal location for logistics and the creation of customized education to workforce pipelines relevant to the needs of regional employers. Our region has a skilled workforce with a 20 percent higher concentration in manufacturing capabilities than the national average, leads the nation in workforce concentration in cold forming, and is sixth in the nation for aerospace employment concentration. In addition to those strengths, the region has strong supply chains for the aerospace, automotive, and advanced manufacturing industries.

Those qualities, in addition to a lower cost of doing business, a lower cost of living, and a high quality of life truly make the Rockford Region: Your Opportunity Region.

The 2018 schedule includes: