As global financial experts share their 2026 economic forecasts, it’s easy to see what led the late Irish playwright and Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw to quip: “If all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion.”
All kidding aside, it’s easy to admire these highly educated and experienced economic prognosticators for getting it right as often as they do in an often volatile and global world. The truth is, however, there is no one-size-fits-all economic master plan for that world, our nation, or its regions.
To find out what some leading Quad Citizens believe the year ahead holds, in early December, QCBJ Editor Jennifer DeWitt invited a broad cross-section of those business leaders to share their own 2026 forecasts for the Quad Cities region, their companies and industry sectors. This the second section of that report, the rest will appear in our newsletters throughout the week.
The QCBJ staff is grateful to the 18 business and community leaders who took the time to share their plans, hopes and challenges even as they tended to their own organization’s end-of-year wrap ups and critical 2026 planning.
WORKFORCE
Partnering to create skilled, adaptable workforce
Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, Davenport
Eastern Iowa employers are clear about the workforce challenges that are ahead. Two issues rise above the rest: preparing the next generation of leaders and building a skilled workforce that can keep pace with rapid technological change.
Across our recent workforce survey, employers consistently identified leadership and people readiness as their top concern. As experienced workers retire and new supervisors step into leadership, businesses need employees who can solve problems, communicate clearly, manage time, and lead teams effectively. These skills are no longer “nice to have.” They are essential to productivity, retention, and long-term stability.
At the same time, employers are facing persistent shortages in skilled trades while navigating automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0 technologies. Employers emphasized the need for workers who are technically skilled and adaptable — people who can maintain equipment today and learn new systems tomorrow.
We’re responding by working closely with employers to deliver training that is faster, more flexible, and more relevant. That includes expanding short, modular training that fits real schedules, increasing access to skilled trades and advanced manufacturing programs, and building leadership training that strengthens teams from the inside out. We’re also investing in new and updated programs aligned with emerging technologies, ensuring workers and businesses stay competitive.
When employers, educators, and communities work together, we can build a workforce that is ready not just for what’s next, but for what’s possible.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges stands ready to assist business and industry partners in developing customized training plans and delivering high-quality education that ensures a skilled, adaptable workforce. Learn more at eicc.edu/bits.
HEALTH
Health care providers braced for Medicaid changes
CEO, Vera French Community Mental Health Center, Davenport
In some respects, business for the health care industry will be fair to middling as long as government contracts and rates remain as they are, but that’s not what we’re expecting in 2026. There is a fair amount of economic uncertainty among citizens of the Quad Cities, so staff retention will be strong but people will be holding onto their wallets and reluctant to start new health care services unless they are in a bad situation.
What we’re hearing is budget cuts are on the way at all levels of government — federal, state and local levels — and contracts and reimbursement rates will be up for review and could be on the chopping block. This will likely affect people with Medicaid the most.
For those health care businesses like Vera French who serve a lot of people with Medicaid, 2026 could be difficult for our Medicaid clients who may become ineligible due to work requirements and other restrictions that may be coming this year.
Medicaid restrictions could impact service volumes and/or result in a higher number of people coming through our doors without any insurance. But our message to the community is Vera French is your community mental health center and we will serve any and all persons coming through our doors regardless of insurance or ability to pay.
BANKING
QC to remain ‘exceptional place to do business’
President & CEO, Quad City Bank & Trust
Building on a solid 2025 performance, the banking industry enters 2026 with a focus on agility and community stability. While 2025 began with some significant headwinds, it reinforced the vital connection between local banks and the small businesses that form our community’s fabric.
Banking remains highly regulated, and 2026 will undoubtedly present new challenges. However, forecasts suggest a potential easing of economic hardships and potential stabilization across many industries. Success will depend on staying above the fray and prioritizing community needs.
A primary focus for 2026 is balancing the “raw materials” of banking: deposits. While rates of return have dipped slightly from their late 2024/early 2025 peaks, they remain significantly more attractive than the pandemic-era lows of 2020–2022.
I anticipate the industry will increasingly evaluate innovative ways to increase deposits as a core component of business accounts.
Combined with stabilizing interest rates, these conditions may foster a year of predictability and “calm waters” for business owners and residents. The Quad Cities’ position as a mid-sized Midwestern metropolitan area provides a fortunate insulation from the volatile economic swings often felt on the coasts or in larger cities.
Ultimately, the Quad Cities remains an exceptional place to do business. To maintain this stability, we must continue supporting the community and the nonprofit organizations that assist our most vulnerable citizens. By upholding these pillars, we ensure our region remains strong, inclusive, and resilient throughout 2026.
HOSPITALITY / ENTERTAINMENT
Small businesses expect to see more uncertainty
President, CEO, The Hungry Hobo
As we enter 2026, the business climate in our region continues to be uncertain as we see how the impact of higher costs are offset by things like lower gas prices and federal/Iowa income taxes.
It’s our hope we’ll be able to see an increase in sales — especially with our newest drive thru location near the TBK Bank Sports complex in Bettendorf, a lower cost of goods, and more moderate labor and insurance increases given the smaller margins associated with today’s restaurant industry.
It obviously starts with our region’s major employers and makes its way to down to us, but it would be nice if our state and local governments did whatever they can to create a more friendly environment for relatively small businesses, especially as it relates to labor costs, sales taxes, property taxes, credit card processing fees, and regulations. Those types of things would certainly help us continue to grow our business, hire more people, reinvest in those communities, and ultimately generate even more revenue for those entities.
Here’s to hoping some of that happens in 2026!
AGRICULTURE
Input costs pressuring ag profitability in 2026
CEO, River Valley Cooperative, Davenport
As 2026 begins, agricultural input retailers in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois are bracing for another demanding year alongside the farmers they serve. These retailers, responsible for providing essential fertilizers, seeds, crop protection, and application services, must navigate a market where persistently high operating and input costs are squeezing margins across the entire supply chain.
The challenge isn’t just the price of products; it includes high interest rates, inflationary overhead, and the rising cost of equipment and asset investments. Success in 2026 will depend on planning and highly efficient execution.
Profitability is expected to remain challenged throughout the two-state trade area. To manage these pressures, input retailers are focusing on:
Strategic input reductions: Farmers are increasingly selective, scaling back on non-essential chemicals and fertilizers to prioritize inputs that directly impact immediate yields.
Volatile fertilizer prices: While phosphate prices saw a modest decline in late 2025, overall fertilizer costs remain significantly higher than historical averages.
Commodity uncertainty: With the prices of corn and soybeans — the region’s primary crops — remaining unstable, market sentiment is heavily tied to upcoming government supply reports and evolving international trade deals.
Cash flow support: Government payments expected in February 2026 may offer a necessary short-term liquidity boost, helping farmers proceed with essential spring input purchases.
Weather: As always, weather remains the ultimate variable, dictating the timing of planting, the effectiveness of applications, and ultimately crop yields.
The retailers who will succeed are those capable of providing more than just products. By offering growers their expert guidance, retailers can maintain stability in a year where profitability will certainly be constrained.
