In 2025, Bridge Investment secured New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) loan‑pool funding for a Rock Island, Illinois–based manufacturer and served as the leveraged lender for a manufacturing expansion located in a deeply distressed, persistent‑poverty census tract. Bridge Investment facilitated on‑site visits to the development location, connecting directly with ownership to walk the property, review the proposed expansion, and gain firsthand insight into project scope, economic impact, and longer‐term redevelopment plans. These discussions strengthened underwriting, ensured alignment between financing structure and business needs, and played a key role in securing favorable NMTC loan‐pool terms.
The site, long characterized as vacant, underutilized, and blighted industrial properties, is now positioned for reinvestment, including an old livestock auction that was destroyed by arson fire in 2024.The same company acquired a vacant warehouse that is included in their expansion plans. Through this CDFI‑backed financing, the area will soon see renewed manufacturing activity, modern facilities, and increased economic development activity. Bridge Investment’s participation enabled the manufacturer to access NMTC loan‑pool terms that were otherwise out of reach, allowing the business to reinvest while remaining rooted in the west end of Rock Island, Illinois. The $3.7 million investment will:
These positions offer living wages, paying more than $40 per hour with benefits, helping anchor long‑term economic stability in a community where private capital has historically been absent. This project exemplifies how hands‐on engagement, flexible CDFI capital, and strategic partnerships can transform distressed sites into productive assets, unlocking private investment, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and ensuring economic growth where its needed most.
The site, long characterized as vacant, underutilized, and blighted industrial properties, is now positioned for reinvestment, including an old livestock auction that was destroyed by arson fire in 2024.The same company acquired a vacant warehouse that is included in their expansion plans. Through this CDFI‑backed financing, the area will soon see renewed manufacturing activity, modern facilities, and increased economic development activity. Bridge Investment’s participation enabled the manufacturer to access NMTC loan‑pool terms that were otherwise out of reach, allowing the business to reinvest while remaining rooted in the west end of Rock Island, Illinois. The $3.7 million investment will:
- Support construction of a new 20,000‑square‐foot facility
- Expand fabrication, assembly, and painting operations
- Create or retain 25 high‑quality jobs
These positions offer living wages, paying more than $40 per hour with benefits, helping anchor long‑term economic stability in a community where private capital has historically been absent. This project exemplifies how hands‐on engagement, flexible CDFI capital, and strategic partnerships can transform distressed sites into productive assets, unlocking private investment, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and ensuring economic growth where its needed most.
