Using a grant from the Department of Defense, the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce will work with the University of Illinois on a study of the military and its impact on the state. The goal is to help companies and communities handle fluctuations in defense spending.
Paul Rumler, chief economic development officer for the chamber, says the first step is to put together an "asset map" of all the military installations and contracts in Illinois.
That includes the Rock Island Arsenal, plus installations in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, and East Saint Louis, and all of their suppliers.
Actually, Rumler says this project began here last summer as part of the Quad Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub - a program to help manufacturers compete globally - starting with an inventory of "asset map" of these companies, then what opportunities there might be for them.
