Rockford Is Aerospace m i d-am e r i ca s b e s t i t e r at i o a l ae r o s pac e com m u i t y
Rockford Is Aerospace mid-america s best iteratioal aerospace commuity Techical Talet ad Maufacturig Excellece There are more tha 56,000 egieers withi 90 miles of Rockford. The Rockford MSA has more tha 4,000 egieers, which is 1.3 times more tha the U.S. average. The regioal workforce is productive ad dedicated, with targeted aerospace idustry traiig programs to esure suppliers have cosistet ad log-term access to skilled workers. Busiess-Friedly Commuity The Rockford Regio boasts pro-developmet orieted commuities with a history of supportig the growth eeds of advaced maufacturig. The regio features a collaborative ecoomic developmet effort that ecourages iovatio ad supplier developmet. Aerospace compaies i the regio etwork ad collaboratively seek opportuities to improve the local busiess climate, share leads ad icrease aerospace busiess opportuities. The Rockford Regio is oe of the largest epiceters of aerospace activity i the coutry, with more tha 200 suppliers operatig i the area. It is i the ceter of a major ecoomic regio with assets vital to the aerospace idustry. The regio has the critical mass of suppliers ad ifrastructure that tier-oe ad origial equipmet maufacturers eed. With more tha 6,500 aerospace sector employees, the Rockford Regio is oe of the atio s leaders i overall aerospace employmet. Istat Supply Chai Rockford s aerospace cluster is oe of the leadig aerospace employmet ceters i the coutry. The regio offers multiple diverse clusters of advaced maufacturig capabilities at twice the atioal average i maufacturig employmet. Rockford s uique stregth is the presece of diverse compaies at all levels of the supply chai, icludig assembly, ispectio, testig, repair ad software. The regio is comprised of more tha 200 aerospace compaies, with several tier-oe aerospace suppliers, icludig B/E Aerospace, GE Aviatio, Esterlie, UTC Aerospace Systems ad Woodward. Compaies i the cluster serve idustry leaders like Boeig ad Airbus, which beefit from beig able to visit multiple suppliers i oe visit to the regio. Trasportatio optios that save time ad moey Easy access to I-88, I-39, I-43 ad I-88 Rockford Regio is withi two hours of four iteratioal airports Uparalleled Global Access The regio s locatio allows for coveiet access to regioal, atioal ad iteratioal markets. As part of the world s third-largest multi-modal port system, the Rockford Regio offers iteratioal airports, major iterstate coectios, ocea ad river ports ad rail services that provide effortless ad cost-effective worldwide movemet of employees, customers ad products. The Rockford Regio is oly a hour away from Chicago O Hare Iteratioal Airport (ORD). It also boasts the Chicago Rockford Iteratioal Airport (RFD), a leadig cargo airport i the coutry. Rockford Area Ecoomic Developmet Coucil 100 Park Aveue, Suite 100 Rockford IL 61101 iformatio@rockfordil.com www.rockfordil.com
Maufacturig Excellece mid-america s best iteratioal aerospace commuity Attractive Hirig Climate Experieced workforce: 55 percet have more tha 10 years o the job ad are multi-skilled Very good ratig for turover ad productivity Rockford wages are competitive with other Midwest locatios. They rival those i Madiso ad are lower tha the Chicago area. Workforce Developmet The Rockford Regio takes a proactive ad pragmatic approach to addressig oe of the aerospace idustry s greatest eeds fidig qualified talet durig a atioal shortage of egieers, scietists ad techicias. A visio ad strategy of the regioal aerospace etwork is to educate, attract ad retai a uparalleled workforce ad create world-class educatioal ad vocatioal parterships ad istitutios. Rockford is at the ceter of the Midwest s great slate of uiversities ad egieerig schools. Nearly 9,000 degrees are grated each year from local educatioal istitutios, more tha 400 i egieerig. Through collaborative efforts with higher educatio istitutios, busiesses i the regio have the opportuity to develop ad sustai the professioal, techical ad skilled workforce ecessary to meet global market demads. Cocetrated Maufacturig Talet Above Natioal Average Employers i the Rockford Regio beefit from its large pool of aerospace egieerig ad other professioal, techical ad skilled talet. As part of the Chicago area, Rockford is withi oe of the most desely populated areas of the coutry. There are 2.8 millio workig-age adults withi 60 miles ad more tha 56,000 egieers withi a 90-miute drive. The regio has twice the U.S. average of maufacturig employmet with multiple clusters of advaced maufacturig capabilities. The regio is the global leader i the desig ad maufacture of egie cotrol systems, electric power geeratio, distributio ad cotrol systems. The Rockford metro area boasts cocetrated maufacturig ad research ad developmet talet above the atioal average: Trasportatio maufacturig ad R&D employmet 3 times the atioal average Machiery maufacturig ad R&D employmet 6 times the atioal average Metals maufacturig ad R&D employmet 4 times the atioal average The Joit Istitute of Egieerig & Techology Aerospace (JiET-A) is a iovative partership betwee the regio s aerospace compaies ad uiversities, matchig studets with itership ad metorship opportuities to gai experiece with leadig aerospace compaies. Throughout the experiece, studets are metored by leadig aerospace professioals. Whe studets graduate, they eter the aerospace idustry with valuable ad marketable skills ad experiece. JiET-A uites regioal educatio istitutios ad aerospace compaies to ehace studets experieces ad guide them ito a successful trasitio from school to the aerospace workforce. JiET-A academic parters iclude: Rock Valley College Norther Illiois Uiversity Rockford College Embry-Riddle Aeroautical Uiversity Rockford Area Ecoomic Developmet Coucil 100 Park Aveue, Suite 100 Rockford IL 61101 iformatio@rockfordil.com www.rockfordil.com
Istat Supply Chai mid-america s best iteratioal aerospace commuity The Rockford Aerospace Cluster is your istat supply chai with more tha 200 compaies. Samplig of Compaies: AAR Corp. ATI Ladish Forgig B/E Aerospace Boeig HQ Emteq Aerospace HQ Esterlie Forest City Gear GE Aviatio Igeium Aerospace Northrop Grumma Northstar Aerospace HQ QuEST Global Services Spider Compay SupplyCore UTC Aerospace Systems Woodward The Rockford Regio is home to 11 major tier-oe aerospace suppliers. The cluster etwork offers several beefits to aerospace compaies, icludig: Collaboratio that stregthes global competitiveess Developmet of a eviromet that ecourages sharig of kowledge ad best practices Ability to retai the regio s skilled maufacturig capabilities Establishmet of egieerig programs ad cooperatives Rockford Area Ecoomic Developmet Coucil 100 Park Aveue, Suite 100 Rockford IL 61101 iformatio@rockfordil.com www.rockfordil.com
Uparalleled Global Access mid-america s best iteratioal aerospace commuity By the Numbers 6th Largest cargo airport i U.S. (ORD) 10,000 ft. Legth of RFD s primary ruway The Rockford Regio is part of the world s third-largest multi-modal port system. A best logistics site for coectivity ad low cost of operatios Direct access to all major world markets 75% of U.S busiesses ca be reached withi a 24-hour truck drive #176 Foreig Trade Zoe NAFTA access via I-90,I-43,I-39 ad I-88 24/7 U. S. Custom Port of Etry The Rockford Regio is served by four class oe railroads: BNSF CP CN UP IL Iteratioal Port District: Barge access to IL ad MS Rivers 4 Iteratioal airports withi two hours: ORD, MKE, RFD, MDW Rockford Area Ecoomic Developmet Coucil 100 Park Aveue, Suite 100 Rockford IL 61101 iformatio@rockfordil.com www.rockfordil.com
Busiess Friedly Commuity mid-america s best iteratioal aerospace commuity Rockford Regio commuities work ethusiastically with ew ad expadig compaies to create a higher stadard of livig for the regio s residets. The Rockford Regio offers limited goverace, reasoable tax rates, superior trasportatio ifrastructure ad busiess icetives programs for ew ad expadig busiesses, maufacturig compaies ad etrepreeurs. 5th 7th 5th lowest effective tax rate o ew ivestmet (4.6%), accordig to Erst & Youg April 2011 report. Illiois has o separate property tax o equipmet ad machiery, ad has geerous sales tax exemptios for busiess-to-busiess sales. 7th i Site Selectio magazie s Goveror s Cup rakig of state success i attractig major capital ivestmet i 2011. The State of Illiois has a log-term visio to support the growth of the aerospace idustry. The Rockford Regio is a tagible example of that visio i actio. There s a virtual circle of growth ad iovatio happeig i this regio especially with the $200 millio expasio of Woodward. We re proud of the parterships ad collaboratio that have take place to support the growth of this sector i Rockford ad Illiois. Aerospace compaies are welcome here! Adam Pollet, Actig Director, Illiois Departmet of Commerce ad Ecoomic Opportuity The commuities of the Rockford Regio have a history of deliverig o their commitmets: A collaborative ecoomic developmet effort where compaies are ecouraged to provide leadership o issues that they fid importat. Multiple demostratios of commuity ad govermetal support for aerospace busiesses. Acceptable evirometal regulatios ad a expeditious permittig process. Prove ability of compaies to expad facilities ad exted ifrastructure o time ad i budget. Prove ability for idustry leadership to make a impact o the directio ad focus of commuity bettermet iitiatives simply by makig oe phoe call. Dozes of iterviews with CEOs, etrepreeurs ad experts i corporate site selectio cofirm that Illiois has more of what busiesses eed to thrive. The state has a larger pool of taleted workers, bigger markets, more moey for ivestmet ad better trasportatio. Crai s Chicago Busiess Aalysis, 2011 UPS Parcel & Heavy Freight Air Cargo Operatios Attractio & Expasio The Chicago Rockford Iteratioal Airport project was completed ad operatioal before cocurret east ad west coast facilities were provided with permits. Rockford Area Ecoomic Developmet Coucil 100 Park Aveue, Suite 100 Rockford IL 61101 iformatio@rockfordil.com www.rockfordil.com
Attractive Quality of Life mid-america s best iteratioal aerospace commuity Best of Etertaimet There is somethig for everyoe i Rockford. Families ca play together at a variety of local attractios, our thrivig dowtow is home to veues that pull i top etertaimet acts, history buffs ca take i oe of our may museums ad everywhere you look you ca fid a great meal. The Rockford Regio provides the charm ad coveiece of a small Midwester city with easy access to eighborig Chicago, Milwaukee ad Madiso. This high quality of life comes at a affordable price with the cost of livig beig below the U.S. average. Today, Rockford is a vital, multicultural commuity of people with roots i Africa, Asia, Europe ad the Americas. Rockford s ladmarks, restaurats ad shops reflect the city s rich ethic heritage. Attractios Burpee Museum of Natural History Discovery Ceter Museum Midway Village Museum Magic Waters CoCo Key Water Resort Aderso Japaese Gardes Rockford Park District amed Best i Natio Diig/Nightlife BMO Harris Bak Ceter Newly reovated civic area Home of the Rockford IceHogs Top Chicago Blackhawks affiliate Starlight Theatre Variety of diig optios Culture Rockford Art Museum Historic Coroado Theater Rockford Symphoy Orchestra Tiker Swiss Cottage Ethic Heritage Museum City of Gardes Historically referred to as the Forest City because of the river valley s lush woods, Rockford ow refers to itself as the City of Gardes. The area is home to 10,000 acres of parks ad forest preserves, tree-lied streets, a exceptioally gree dowtow, a riverside trail ad may public gardes. From Rock Cut State Park to the ew Nicholas Coservatory ad Gardes alog the baks of the Rock River, residets ca ejoy the beauty our regio has to offer. Ceter of Attetio Rockford residets ejoy beig the ceter of the actio. While we have everythig we eed right here i our commuity, the world is at our doorstep. Rockford is coveietly located withi 90 miutes of Chicago, Milwaukee ad Madiso. Our residets ca ejoy a day trip i to oe of these larger, eighborig cities to take i their cultural, recreatioal ad educatioal assets. Variety is the spice of life ad Rockford ad its surroudig commuities have it all. Rockford Area Ecoomic Developmet Coucil 100 Park Aveue, Suite 100 Rockford IL 61101 iformatio@rockfordil.com www.rockfordil.com