A Macomb County economic development leader told business and civic officials Monday that the county’s defense economy needs to expand beyond ground vehicles into areas such as air and space.
Macomb County is home to the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM), Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) and defense contractors such General Dynamics Land Systems, which produces military vehicles for the U.S. Army and its allies.
Vicky Rowinski, the director of Macomb County’s Department of Planning and Economic Development, told The News that the Army’s budget is staying stable, but other branches of the military, such as the Air Force and Navy, are seeing budgetary increases.
At a Macomb County event Monday, she said the county excels with Army defense work, including ground vehicles, but it could branch out into other parts of the defense economy, including air, space, sea and cyberspace. She said Macomb County has a $6 billion defense industry, compared to an overall national defense budget of around $830 billion.
“It’s an opportunity for us to capture more in those other areas,” she told the crowd.
Rowinski was part of a panel of regional economic experts who shared insights Monday on the trends shaping the county, region and nation’s economic growth during the 2026 Macomb Economic Forecast. More than 200 business and civic leaders from across Macomb County gathered for the event at Macomb Community College in Warren. The Macomb County Chamber, in partnership with the Chamber Alliance of Macomb County and presenting sponsor Wayne State University, hosted the forecast.
The event came just days after as the United States and Israel launched their most ambitious attacks on Iran in decades on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sinking Iranian warships and hitting more than 1,000 targets so far.
“If you’ve watched anything this weekend, what did you guys see in the sky? Missiles. Hypersonic,” Rowinski said to the audience in Macomb County.
“You’re hearing some of those high-tech platforms that are out there, and in fact, there are Macomb County businesses that are playing in the space,” she added.
Ben Marchionna, chief innovation ecosystem officer for the state of Michigan, mentioned the conflicts in Venezuela and Iran during the panel discussion.
“These are also conflicts that were done primarily through AI-driven software and an air campaign, and are unlikely to see a big push like we’ve seen in decades or even centuries past of a ground component,” he said. “And so what is the role for heavy machinery, ground-based vehicles, tanks and things like this? How do we try and think about adapting as an economy?”
Tom Alongi, a partner at professional services firm UHY, told the Macomb County audience that he expected “more volatility” in the national economy in 2026, “even before I woke up on Saturday,” referring to the strikes in Iran over the weekend. He said there is volatility around tariffs, inflation and other topics.
“Affordability is still a big topic,” he said. “Immigration’s a big topic. Wars are now a big topic.”
Some speakers emphasized the need to diversify Michigan’s economy outside of the auto industry. Alongi said an industrial renaissance is occurring, and Michigan could grow in the automation, high-tech manufacturing, aerospace and defense spaces, he said.
Reuters contributed.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Macomb must expand defense work amid U.S. attacks on Iran, official says
Reporting by Anne Snabes, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
