Sterilite is the North American continent’s largest plastic housewares company. | File photo
Sterilite is the North American continent’s largest plastic housewares company. | File photo
Sterilite — the name behind many household products — may be setting down roots and stimulating the local economy close by the communities of Rock Island, Moline and East Moline, the Quad Cities Chamber announced recently.
"I can't think of a better way to start the new year than to make an announcement like this," said Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch, according to the Dispatch-Argus.
The Massachusetts-based Sterilite Corp. is eyeing the area as its potential seventh hub. Plans are contingent on local approval, but local economic planners suggested that groundbreaking is slated for this spring, with plans to complete construction by 2018.
"This is the second major economic development announcement in the Quad-Cities in just over a year, coming off the heels of Kraft Heinz's $200 million investment," Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce chief economic development officer Liz Murray Tallman said.
The facility would create 500 jobs over the next five years, in a 2.5 million-square-foot space designated for both manufacturing and distribution.
"This is a testament to our region's focused effort on economic development,” Murray said. “Projects of this magnitude come along once in a decade, and two back-to-back investments show the impact of making this region marketable on a national scale and creating a successful business climate."
Quad Cities’ unique locale straddling the Mississippi River enables its respective communities to benefit by sharing business incentives. Together Rock Island, Moline and East Moline, plus the neighboring Iowa communities of Bettendorf and Davenport, comprise a population of approximately 400,000.
Sterilite is the North American continent’s largest plastic housewares company. Currently the company operates in Alabama, Arizona, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas as well as Massachusetts.
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