With more than 6,500 employees working for nearly 100 aerospace and aviation businesses, the Rockford region is a national leader in the aerospace industry. Rockford’s reach is so great, it can boast that every airplane being constructed today includes parts made or designed in the area.

Companies are drawn to the region’s highly skilled workforce, Midwestern work ethic and access to an extensive transportation network. Rockford’s location just 70 miles from O’Hare International Airport also affords it access to Chicago’s major markets and facilities.

In the last few years, several large-scale expansions have solidified the Rockford region’s presence in the aerospace industry. Woodward Aircraft Turbine Systems recently completed a $300 million expansion that will add 1,000 employees by 2021. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University also recently expanded, constructing a new facility that doubled the size of their original location.

Illinois’ role in the aerospace industry also extends beyond Rockford. Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company with nearly 165,000 employees throughout the country, is headquarted in Chicago, moving from Washington State in 2001. Less than a mile away, the Willis (Sears) Tower is headquarters for United Airlines, one of the largest airlines in the country.

Learn more:
Rockford’s hopes soar on strength of its aviation, aerospace industry – Chicago Tribune