Deere and KVF: Solid Business Partnership

On Tuesday,  I visited a company in East Moline called KVF-Quad Corporation. I remembered the first time I stopped by its plant nearly 20 years ago. At that time, they were cranking out tokens for the new riverboat casinos that were floating into the Quad Cities.
KVF-Quad, under the leadership of Mike Crotty, actually opened its doors back in 1976. Since that time, it’s grown from a handful of employees and 1,500 square feet to some 40 staffers and 65,000 square feet.
These days, it’s bucking the recession by announcing expansion plans. The company is pumping $750,000 into its site. The investment should help the business to expand and grow new jobs.
When it comes to doing business in the Quad Cities, KVF-Quad has a lot of impressive connections with the ag industry and the Rock Island Arsenal. Those factors help it to grow close to home.
The company does a lot of business with Deere & Company. It specializes in what’s called metal finishing. Parts come to the East Moline plant, and they are buffed, polished, sandblasted, painted and whatever else they need before going back to Deere and other firms.
Crotty, who once served as a Moline alderman, told me that his company is here to stay. They’re in it for the long haul. It’s going to move ahead and develop its processes right here in East Moline.
That made me think about the impact of a company like Deere & Company. Not only is it a major employer in the Quad Cities, but it also sparks business for any number of related firms around the region.
The folks at KVF-Quad Corporation prove that with smart teamwork and careful strategy, they’re building on rich tradition to design a brighter future.
It’s a future that will help its business, employees and the local economy to grow.