County Executive Hackel Shares Vision of County's Manufacturing Future

Wednesday’s Macomb Township board of trustees meeting was the fourth stop on what will eventually be a 27-city tour by Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.

Hackel, who is also a Macomb Township resident, cited two primary objectives in his address of the board:  

• To explain the working relationship between the new county executive office and local governments and,
• To elaborate on his vision for the county’s economic future.

“My office is one that has been very engaged with various communities,” Hackel said. “As a county we do not try to set a standard or tone for municipalities. We do not tell them what to do; however, we are there to provide a service and support them on some of the initiatives they may have.”

In terms of his plans to strengthen Macomb County’s economy, Hackel reiterated his commitment to do whatever it takes to move the county forward regardless of partisan concerns.

“My objective is to try not to look at issues on a partisan objective,” he said. “It really matters not to me whether you’re Democrat or Republican. What matters to me is that you are going to add value to helping us solve some of the issues and problems that we face.”

One of these issues is how to use Macomb’s manufacturing sector, the so-called defense corridor, to elevate Macomb County’s status in the region and add value to living in Macomb.

“Why do people move into Macomb?” Hackel said. “I truly have to believe it is the value-added proposition we have in Macomb County.”

He went on to recognize the area’s schools, affordable housing, transportation and services as major contributing factors to Macomb County’s continued growth over the past decade, even as the state of Michigan lost population overall.

While Hackel does not believe the county’s manufacturing base contributed significantly to this 10-year growth, he does believe this industry has the potential to stimulate continued growth in the future. 

“Here we have in our own backyard a cluster of a tremendous industry that isn’t going to go away called the defense corridor,” Hackel said. “Macomb County is the defense capital of the Midwest.”

But the Midwest is only a stepping stone to Hackel’s ultimate goal: making Macomb the defense capital of the world.

Working with the governor’s office, TACOM and the county’s planning commission, Hackel envisions the county, and Macomb Township, using the defense industry only as a starting point to bring in other forms of manufacturing, including automotive.

“Macomb County will no longer be merely a donor county,” Hackel said.