Industries


The Rockford Region’s industrial history began with its rise to national prominence in furniture manufacturing and progressed as a center of excellence for farm implement manufacturing.

Also known as “the Screw Capital of the World” our region specializes in fastener manufacturing, and has extended our excellence into engineering, and other highly technical manufacturing processes. The combination of these factors allowed the Rockford Region to diversify into automotive, aerospace/defense, fasteners, machine tools, and heavy machinery.

The Rockford Region is considered an excellent location for:

Industry Cluster advanced manufacturingIndustry Cluster aerospaceIndustry Cluster automotiveIndustry Cluster customer service call centerIndustry Cluster food processingIndustry Cluster healthcare Industry Cluster hydraulicsIndustry Cluster logistics


The Rockford Region consists of Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties in northern Illinois. The area lies in the heart of the Midwest, and in very close proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Quad-Cities, and Peoria. Its central time zone location allows your company to reach customers from coast to coast during normal business hours.

The 75 institutions of higher learning that lie within a 90-mile commute of Rockford provide a skilled and readily available workforce.

The Rockford Region’s low cost of living, high quality of life, and competitive wage rates benefit both employer and employee.