Rockford, Illinois is located in Winnebago County and is situated along the banks of the Rock River. The city is often called "The Forest City," which refers to the well known elm trees it possessed before the mid 1950's Dutch elm disease epidemic that wiped out most of the Elm tree population. The population of the city is over 157,000 residents and the city is the 3rd largest in Illinois. The business directory can help connect you to the local businesses of Rockford.
The economy of Rockford has been on a decline since the fall of the city's manufacturing industry in the 1980's. Rockford was once a nationwide leader in the industry of manufacturing but has been forced to make changes in the economy's direction. Larger businesses and corporations have bought out the familiar family owned businesses of the city and have transported the manufacturing production jobs to lower wage earning areas of the United States, or exported them overseas to other nations. The new focus of the city is on technology businesses and tourism to the exceptional museums and parks in the great park system of Rockford. Plans for the city have been discussed to establish a Convention Center, Riverwalk and Casino. Also redevelopment of the downtown district is ongoing and a 25 million dollar project to build a hotel and restaurant on the northeast side of the city has been announced by the lead guitarist of Cheap Trick, Rick Nielson. To search for the local businesses in Rockford use the yellowpages of Illinois.