DAVENPORT, Iowa — 2016 has been a big year for Republic, an independent, third-generation family-owned electrical, mechanical, and energy management distributor in the Quad Cities with branches in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, Iowa, and Peoria, Illinois. On Sept. 22nd, Republic commemorated 100 years in business with a grand celebration at the iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois.

Approximately 650 vendors, employees, and community leaders enjoyed live music and short presentations showcased the company’s history with dramatic videos and memorable stories of the past. A capstone of the evening was the presentation of a $40,608 check to the Handicapped Development Center (HDC) to create the J.S. Kimmel Technology Training Center. Republic capitalized on its 100th anniversary to encourage the community at large to contribute to the creation of this much-needed resource for the HDC, a local Davenport organization that Republic’s founder, J.S. Kimmel Sr., helped to create. Altogether, more than 130 individuals and businesses contributed to the cause.