Whitmer highlights Macomb County piece of her statewide economic development plan

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses members of the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce on April 29, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

As lawmakers set their sights on the state budget and the future of the state’s economic growth, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer outlined her vision for growing the state’s economy and the role Macomb County would play in her 2024 address to the county Chamber of Commerce.

Following an introduction from Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, which called back to Whitmer’s announcement of the Detroit Lions’ fourth-round pick at the NFL Draft, the governor recounted her budget and policy priorities while highlighting Macomb as the epicenter of the defense industry in Michigan. 

While she continued to push for further investments in education — including her “Michigan Guarantee” which would ensure Michiganders can receive a free education from pre-K through the first two years of community college — she noted recent efforts to bring defense and aerospace engineering jobs into Macomb. 

“More than 1,100 defense and aerospace companies all call Macomb home. Last year more than six in 10 federal defense contracts won by companies statewide were here in Macomb County,” Whitmer said. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer dons a Macomb County hat given to her by County Executive Mark Hackel while addressing members of the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce. | Kyle Davidson

“These contracts total $3.56 billion, supporting good paying local jobs and communities. And since the year 2000, Macomb companies have won over $61 billion in defense contracts,” Whitmer said. 

To continue supporting these jobs, Whitmer pointed to the recently announced Department of Defense and Aerospace Innovation, which will be helmed by retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. John Gutierrez. The office will encourage growth of defense and aerospace jobs and boost Department of Defense and research and development spending statewide, Whitmer said. 

According to a statement from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation the defense industry contributes $30 billion to the state’s economy, supporting more than 116,000 jobs. 

 With Selfridge Air National Guard Base holding 5,000 personnel and carrying an $850 million economic impact, Whitmer said it’s important for her administration to remain focused on supporting the base. 

“In 2022, I signed a bipartisan budget that had funding for $6 million of infrastructure upgrades at the base. Last May, we opened a new $28 million hangar so that we could service air fighters,” Whitmer said. 

She also noted U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) led efforts to secure funding from the base from the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.  

Whitmer also pointed to an additional $10 million in the bipartisan state budget for Fiscal Year 2024, which would allow the base to compete for next generation aircraft. 

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel addresses members of the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce on April 29, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

When looking to the future of the state’s economic development, Whitmer focused on supporting education, public safety and job training programs and investing in housing in order to attract more families to the state, noting that the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) would be building or refurbishing 10,000 homes within the state. 

“This plays a part in our ongoing population growth strategy. We want parents to know that they can come to Michigan and have a great quality of life. It is our legacy and it must be our future if we’re gonna grow this state,” Whitmer said. 

She also pointed to priorities from her 2024 State of the State speech, including a tax credit for research and development, a fund to lower payroll taxes, a simplification of the state’s “Renaissance Zones” program — which provides lower taxes for businesses and entrepreneurs in strategically selected areas to uplift certain regions in the state — as well as an innovation fund to support startups. 

As the state heads toward the November general election where one U.S. Senate seat, all 13 Michigan congressional seats and all 110 districts in the House of Representatives will be on the ballot. Whitmer said Democrats would need to focus on the fundamentals in order to win votes in Macomb County, which former President Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2020. Whitmer, a Democrat, won the county in 2018, as well as 2022.

“When it comes to doing things like improving educational outcomes for our kids, or investing in infrastructure, or even, you know, economic development, it’s been largely Democrats that have been doing a lot of this work,” Whitmer said.

“We’re gonna have a powerful story to tell, but certainly with the cost of eggs and everything else as high as it is, telling that story and listening to people I think is going to be more important than ever,” Whitmer said. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses members of the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce on April 29, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

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