The local and state economy needs to diversify to flourish, according to experts who spoke at the annual Macomb County Economic Forecast.
Tom Alongi, a partner with UHY, shared a photo of a rollercoaster saying it demonstrated the 2025 economy, then followed it with a photo of skydivers and said that 2026 will include even more economic disruption.
“I really do expect more volatility in ’26,” he said.
Alongi expects the volatility will be driven by the tariffs that have been coming from President Donald Trump’s administration, as well as ongoing and newly-started global conflicts.
Even with that, though, he said there are three engines of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the United States for 2026. The first is AI/automation, which includes data center spending, AI spending and production gains from AI. The second is what Alongi called an “industrial renaissance,” with opportunities through semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, defense and national security critical raw resources.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Michigan to capture and diversify their economy,” Alongi said.
The third engine of GDP growth he mentioned is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law in July 2025, that he said he hopes will “hit home.”
He added the bill will likely lower household taxes and allow for 100% expensing on equipment and manufacturing facilities. He said the Trump Administration is trying to rebuild manufacturing and that focus provides an “amazing opportunity” for Michigan to diversify its manufacturing from automotive to aerospace defense.
Read the full article published by Macomb Daily.
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