MOLINE, Ill. — A new investment has arrived to the Quad City area.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, Corn Belt Ports officially opened its office at Western Illinois University' Quad Cities. Executive Director Robert Sinkler believes the move will put them on the map.
"The whole purpose of creating the Corn Belt Ports was to get the national attention necessary," Sinkler said. "The larger Corn Belt Ports region has attracted over $2 billion in federal investment since the bipartisan infrastructure bill was passed and we want to continue helping and contributing to the effort to let the nation know how important the region is to the global economy, national and global supply chain."
More than half of all agriculture is transported through the Mississippi River. The Corn Belt Ports region is located in the tri-state region of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. Together, they are the largest grain-producing and exporting region in the country.
More than 26,000 jobs in Iowa and another 48,000 jobs in Illinois come from waterway ports but Sinkler hopes to see more investment in the growing region.
"You can't invest in a port that doesn't exist," Sinkler added. "Now that more ports exist, we can figure out how to bring more investment and it's not just the federal government and state government. It's a private industry. It's nonprofit organizations. This is the way for our communities to grow together."
Sinkler added those investments include ecosystem restoration and upgrading harbors and roads. They are hoping for more funding in the near future to continue the project.
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel