The County’s Projected Industry Growth Paves the Way for Commercial Real Estate Growth in Macomb County
After attending the 2024 State of the County address by County Executive Mark Hackel on Wednesday evening, I was inspired to translate the strong state of Macomb County into the state of Macomb County’s commercial real estate market (spoiler alert, it’s also strong). While the county executive talked about the importance of partnership versus partisanship and shared statistics related to the county’s population, income, education, job outlook and finances in his presentation, what resonated most with me were all of the impressive projects that are currently happening or starting in 2025, indicating a continuing upward trend in the county’s commercial real estate market.
Aerospace & Defense
In a county known for its concentration of electrical and mechanical engineers, manufacturing-friendly laws and business climate, it’s impossible to group the county’s aerospace and defense market into what commercial real estate refers to as “industrial listings”. According to the county, Macomb County is home to:
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63% of all federal defense contracts in Michigan came to Macomb County in 2023. More than $61 billion in Department of Defense contracts have been awarded to Macomb County since 2000.
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4,813 defense contracts awarded in 2023.
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$3.56 billion in defense contracts awarded in 2023.
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$6.2 billion gross regional product.
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Employment Concentration: 5.76 for Military Armored Vehicle, Tank, and Tank Component Manufacturing.
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$25 billion in defense contracts won by 413 Macomb County businesses from 2010-2020.
Agricultural and Food Production
I was surprised, albeit pleasantly, that Macomb County is home to roughly 457 working farms on roughly 22% of its land. Additionally, according to the US Census, Macomb County ranked in the top 5% of all counties nationwide in the dollar amount of products sold for nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod products. Additionally, Macomb County has also more than 100 food manufacturing businesses picked up by well known distribution and logistics companies.. The county has benefitted from the huge growth in the food processing industry. It is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Automation and Robotics
Another major facet of Macomb County’s manufacturing hub is its automation and robotics market, again due to the technology, skilled trades, and manufacturing expertise. According to the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP), Michigan has more robots deployed in manufacturing plants than any other state, comprising 12% of all robots in the United States.
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More than 1,200 companies employ almost 121,000 skilled workers across science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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Macomb County's 30,000 jobs in Robotics and Automation is 315% above the national average.
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We specialize in prototyping, design, and production.
Automotive and Mobility
While it’s been 125 years since the auto industry started in Detroit, Macomb County still remains at the forefront of the county’s automotive industry. The growth of this industry continues through both traditional manufacturing and also the development of advanced technologies such as autonomous and connected vehicles, smart infrastructure technologies, and robotics.
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$12.2 billion gross domestic product in 2024
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More than $6.9 billion invested In Macomb County in the last 10 years
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A diverse network of 680 automotive and mobility companies
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Michigan is the No. 1 state of automotive R&D and production
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Among “big counties,” (defined by the Census Bureau as counties with a population density of at least 926 people per square mile), Macomb County’s employment concentration (2.37) ranks first out of 140. Additionally, Macomb County ranks first of 140 in engineering talent (3.49).
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The region has one of the most-skilled manufacturing and engineering workforces in the United States (Source: Detroit Regional Partnership)
Distribution and Logistics
The last of the top county industries is a key part of an international trade corridor that efficiently moves products throughout the region and internationally. Macomb County's distribution and logistics industry possesses the vital infrastructure needed to service emerging industries and a growing population. These infrastructure assets, paired with a world-class manufacturing ecosystem have fostered a robust transportation, logistics, and warehousing sector featuring over 950 companies employing more than 17,500 workers.
While all of these projects will create jobs and strengthen the area’s economy, it goes without saying that all of these projects require massive amounts of raw land, warehouses, and redevelopment or reimagination of existing structures. These projects also strengthen the county’s small business, creating demand for commercial/retail space to house the business necessary to support the activity surrounding the county’s economic growth. So, just as our County Executive stated regarding the county on Wednesday, in my opinion, the state of Macomb County’s commercial real estate industry is also STRONG. Anton, Sowerby & Associates, the county’s most established and experienced commercial real estate brokerage, is ready to put their expertise to work to assist with all of your commercial real estate needs.