June 17, 2013, ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS – Members of the Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN) will attend EAA AirVenture 2013 on July 29-August 4 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. More than 800 exhibitors and 508,000 visitors attend AirVenture each year. AirVenture is the world’s largest general aviation marketplace. RAAN and its participating members will be available at booth #2099.
Participating in the event allows RAAN and its members to connect with industry professionals and promote the Rockford region’s key assets. This is an opportunity to showcase the platform for collaboration that is found within the Rockford Region’s aerospace cluster.
“This event draws people from 71 different countries, so it is a good opportunity to raise awareness of our region’s strengths to an international audience,” said Eric Voyles, vice president for national business development at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC). “The Rockford region is one of the largest epicenters of aerospace activity in the country. It is our goal to promote our cluster companies and show other companies outside of our region why they should consider the Rockford region as an option.”
The region, which stretches east toward Chicago and north into southern Wisconsin, is comprised of more than 200 aerospace suppliers at all levels of the supply chain, including assembly, inspection, testing, repair and software. There are more than 90 aerospace suppliers in the Rockford metropolitan area alone. The region leads the state in aerospace manufacturing employment, with more than 80 percent of Illinois’ aerospace workplace being found in Rockford’s metropolitan areas. This makes the Rockford metropolitan area sixth in the nation in terms of concentration of aerospace production employment and one of the largest in the nation in overall aerospace employment.
For more information about the EAA AirVenture 2013, visit www.airventure.org.
ABOUT THE ROCKFORD AREA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
The primary role of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) is to collaboratively enhance wealth creation in the Rockford Region by helping employers retain and create quality jobs while promoting the region. The RAEDC works closely with many partners to learn what existing and new employers need to grow, and to serve as a one-stop resource for clients. The RAEDC seeks to improve the competitiveness of the region by taking what it learns from the region’s employers, and engaging the community in the daily work of economic development to improve the competitiveness of the region. The organization was recognized by Expansion Solutions magazine with a 2012 “Top Five” award for its exceptional progress and potential for development in the Aerospace/Defense category.
ABOUT THE ROCKFORD AREA AEROSPACE NETWORK
RAAN (Rockford Area Aerospace Network) is a committee of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) and offers a platform for collaboration among local aerospace companies and institutions that serve the industry. RAAN serves as the forum where the Rockford region’s aerospace industry cluster development strategy is refined and advanced on an on-going basis. RAAN is supported by the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge and the Economic Development Administration division of the Department of Commerce. The Challenge leverages existing resources from 16 federal agencies and award funds to regions that demonstrate the existence of high-growth industries that support a wide range of economic and workforce development activities.
