Ep36 A+D Update

We've got adversaries, maybe not friendly, that really are creating technologies, missiles, hypersonics, that can travel and potentially reach our soil. And so that golden dome is how do we protect the United States from potential missile offenses? And what technology can we do to prevent that from hitting US soil?

From others over self? It's hardcore and at ease, a show about people who are keeping their edge without going over the edge. I'm host Shelly Rood. You've worked hard to build something that's worth protecting. A business, a team. But effort alone won't make you break every ceiling. Today's conversation is about what does. Building the right coalitions with the right people for a purpose bigger than any one of us can carry alone. This is hardcore and at ease. I see you, my ambitious friend. You are working, you are showing up, you are delivering. And yet somewhere in the back of your mind, there's this nagging feeling that the results should be bigger than this, that the effort you're putting in deserves a bigger return. And you can't quite figure out why the ceiling isn't moving. I spent a long time thinking that the ceiling was a skills problem, that

if I just got sharper or more

efficient, maybe more strategic, then the breakthrough would come. What I've learned is that for most of us, that ceiling is not a skills issue.

It's a skill scope issue.

The mission we're carrying is too big for one person's bandwidth, one organization's reach, or one county's resources.

And that's what this episode is about.

Not collaboration as a nice to have collaboration as the actual mechanism for breaking through. The generate momentum element of the hardcore and at ease framework isn't about people, isn't about working with people because it feels good. It's about recognizing that some results are structurally unavailable to you unless you build something bigger than yourself to achieve them. Today's conversation is proof of that principle at scale. Macomb County, Michigan, is home to 600 defense contractors. 75%. 75% of all defense procurement in southeast Michigan flows through this one region. Global companies are choosing it over states that offer bigger financial incentives. That outcome isn't the result of one company or one contract. It's the result of leaders who decided that shared prosperity was more powerful than protected territory. Vicki Rowinski is the director of economic development for Macomb county and one of the architects of the Detroit Regional Defense Coalition. Kelly Lovati leads Macomb County Chamber of Commerce and chairs the Aerospace and Defense committee that keeps 600 businesses connected, informed and Ready. They're not theorizing about momentum. They're generating it right now in real time with real stakes. Listen to how they talk about patience, partnership, and the long game of building something that lasts. Because whatever ceiling you're sitting under, I think this conversation is going to give us a new way to see it.

Defense and aerospace is actually a diversification for many of our companies that were strictly 100% automotive. However, when you look at the macroeconomics of defense, there are various opportunities for them to get involved in other areas of defense, not just ground vehicles. You know, ground vehicles has been historically our bread and butterfly. But when you look at opportunities outside of that, with anything in maritime, sea, land, air, space, there is a greater opportunity for our defense contractors, who are already playing in this space, to make that leap into some of these other core industries where we're seeing a lot of defense spending happening.

Vicki, do you see that when we look at the macroeconomics that these different spaces play well together, or is it more that you go after one like maritime and. And you kind of get your footing and then you go after another?

Sure.

Well, they're all very different. You know, to go from being a ground vehicle defense supplier to an aerospace supplier really means that you've got to go after some certifications.

You gotta put some wings on that car.

It's difficult. It's tough, and it's costly. And, you know, our businesses really have to make that decision. When you look at the maritime space, especially with the welding, that in itself is just another leap for these businesses to become AWS certified for maritime, which really, you know, pinpoints to, you know, why this is important to Michigan, why it's important to Macomb to build out that pipeline, that workforce piece that can speak the language of maritime, which is similar, but yet very different than traditional defense.

It is. And you've mentioned this type of diversification before, talking about maritime and aerospace. So now that we have this M3 initiative that's operating operational at Macomb Community College. Tell me about the data. You're always so good with your numbers. Which specific data points or trends are you seeing that's really actually happening? And it's not just word speak anymore. Sure.

So in talking with Macomb Community College that runs that program, the cohorts that have currently gone through the program, you're looking at high percentages of placement rates. I believe this last Cohort was about 19 graduates. For us, we want to keep those graduates in Macomb County. We want to keep them in Michigan. However, you know, there is a challenge because a lot of these jobs are actually not here. And so that means we've got to double down on getting those defense flyers, especially those that are in that maritime space, to physically locate in our state and locate in Macomb county so that they're able to stay here. It's one of those where it's a talent attraction piece for us, but we've got to double down now.

Tell me about that. I want to know the things that Macomb county is doing right because this initiative required coordination from the Navy, the state, the college, local businesses included, what made Macomb be able to move this forward where other cities or counties that you've worked with may have stalled?

Well, it's the perfect trifecta. So you've got government, industry, academia, all coming together in the same space. So that was key. And I think that builds the foundation for what this becomes. There are other partners. You look at some of the research that's coming out of University of Michigan, you know, that is a top 10 college right there. I think where we are very distinctively different is it really gets to the workforce, those ready and willing and wanting to work. Being able to bring that skilled trade component, I think was fairly easy for Macomb Community College because they do this for so many other industries as well.

Looking at the local business owner that's ready to jump on board, what advice do you have for those local businesses that are watching this initiative unfold?

Right. Keep trying. And I say that because, you know, you've got 19 cohorts that are very much being looked at through recruiting. We want them to stay here. So if they didn't get that first round of 19 to keep trying, you know, we're going to keep doubling down on the maritime.

So, Kelly, the Chamber's Aerospace and Defense Committee brings together these companies and local businesses that traditionally compete for the same contracts. Now submarine manufacturing coming into the region. Are you seeing some collaborative responses from businesses? How does that process work? If you have two manufacturing companies in the same room, are they competitors? Is there an opportunity for them to work together?

I think both. Right. They're definitely competing for the contracts. But we are hearing, especially through the members of the Aerospace and Defense Committee, that they have the opportunity to share, to look at resources together and to help each other and support each other, which is really great. It's a great opportunity. There's lots of business. Right. So we have lots of business, lots of opportunity. And the stronger we are as a base, the better we're able to attract businesses to come here.

What's the average longevity of their membership with the Chamber? Do they come in and go out?

I mean, I would have to imagine

that this type of industry, you're in it, and you're in it for years.

Yeah, I've only been with the Chamber for seven years. I don't see a lot of turnover. The industry rate for a Chamber of Commerce is about 14% turnover, and we're below that. But, you know, I think when you provide opportunities like the Aerospace and Defense Committee, where the. That's where our members find the value and want to maintain their membership with us.

So looking specifically at the maritime program, what is the gap that you're witnessing between the workforce that the program is producing and what local businesses actually need right now? Do you feel like we're training for. For today's needs that are on the market, or is this more of a future focus? We're training for tomorrow's contract?

I think a little bit of both. I think we're meeting the needs right now. We still have, you know, as Vicki said, keep trying. So there's still businesses that are needing that type of talent. So we are needing to get the word out, share what the great work that we're doing here at Macomb County. We are building that talent pipeline to feed what we have today, but also to hopefully build it stronger for the future.

Needs specific to the Chamber's support and the strategy around how you bring that support to these businesses. Let's say we have a small manufacturer, approximately 20 to 50 employees, and they're interested in maritime work, but they're really not sure where to start. What does the Chamber have specifically that's going to help them navigate from just being interested in this to actually being certified and contracted?

You know, I think in this role, the Chamber's main value is connection. You know, putting them in connection with the. The college, the right people to see about the programming that's available. Being that connector. The one thing that's really unique about the college, they have this maritime program. They can help them, you know, understand the businesses can help the college understand the needs. And the college is viable and flexible enough to adapt and create those programs to meet those needs. Oh, ptac. That was the other thing I want to talk about, which is now what Apex, you know, that's another resource that we can put them in touch with. So really being that connector and helping them navigate and identify the key people that they need to be communicating and working with to be ready to Address those contracts.

So it seems like a very comfortable flow. Come into the chamber, have a warm handshake, get to know who the players are, get to know a couple of different paths. And then the chamber stays alongside the small business as they grow and go after these different initiatives.

And it's really a twofold because as we have this strong educational component in Macomb county that is an economic development tool, because then businesses are going to want to come here because we have that adaptability to train the workforce that they need.

Our next topic is the Detroit Regional Defense Coalition. So I'm going to start again with Vicki. Overall coalition strategy. The new coalition is bringing together Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. And you've said before that Macomb is a small dog in a big world,

but this coalition is.

Makes us so much collectively more a big dog. So I want to hear what specific doors this regional approach is opening for Macomb County.

Well, Shelly, you brought up numbers. And so collectively, when we look at Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, city of Detroit, 75% of all the defense procurement happens in southeast Michigan. In this region, that is jaw dropping.

Can you repeat that?

Jaw dropping. You know, and every time we go to the state, they're like, I just can't be Macomb. It can't be Macomb. You know what? They're right. It can't just be Macomb. Because when we look at that workforce, it's shared. It's shared amongst our borders. People drive to work in Wayne county or they leave Wayne county to come to work in Macomb County. So there's shared prosperity with that. And so for us to be able to pull this coalition together, we're typically. Sometimes we compete for projects. It had been very positive. Bringing Vicki Selva on as the executive director has been a very strategic move. She came on board day one already understanding the footprint, understanding who are the major defense companies in the region. It's nice to be able to lean on someone to say, okay, can you take this special project on? Because we know we've got to have that voice, not just in the state of Michigan, but it's the voice that reverberates throughout the nation as well as international as well.

Yeah, tell me about that. Because you do a lot of traveling to conferences like ausa. How does leading with Detroit region change the conversation?

It puts us on a map when we travel and we say, oh, you know, we're from Macomb County. We've got to physically show on our map of Michigan where We're at. But when you say Detroit region, there's a resonance that's already understood where we're at. They understand our history with the Motor City. Getting back to that workforce piece of, it's really nice to be able to say that Detroit is in our name. You know, Macomb county, we're, we're 20 minutes away from the city of Detroit.

We are.

And so it's important for us to recognize that as well.

This is a unique technical advantage that Macomb county has. Can you explain a little bit more about how this relates to real business attraction scenarios?

Absolutely. Actually, there's a scenario that's playing out right now. We've got missile defense company that is looking at Michigan, really strongly looking at Macomb county. But they also have been wooed by South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana. And we've got to be able to tell that story of why they want to choose here. You know, on paper those other states are throwing a lot of incentives at this company. Things that we can't offer. But you know, it's, it's the tangible things such as ready workforce. It is the partnership, the coalition that they have boots on the ground, but once they land here, they've got a whole ecosystem ready and willing to help this company grow.

Is there anything that you would add to that list more specific to Macomb County?

When we look at our history, our rich history, you can't ignore who we were during World War II, how we were able to at a flip of a switch, really change our manufacturing for wartime needs. That doesn't happen overnight, that requires long term relationships. You know, Kelly brings up this A and D committee. The fact that this committee meets once a month and sometimes the agenda is a little bit lighter. However we're connecting, we're always a phone call away. We who to call in the time of need, having that it's very turnkey development, you know, disaster response plan. If anything were to happen, whether man made or natural, you've got to have these networks and they've got to be active. And the fact that we've got it already is pretty significant. We don't understand the importance of that. We saw this during the pandemic, how we all had to come together pretty quickly. A lot of our businesses said, you know what, I can stop my machine and make parts for ppe. But being able to call up these business owners, talk to the CEO, they already have the relationship with us and they're ready to do the work.

And one of the strategic advantages of that is that you can just go faster together immediately. Right. Like you can hit the ground running. Whereas if you go to another state, for instance, that might have a different type of landscape feel when you're there. You're going to spend the first five years just trying to figure out your footing before you can actually get going with your business. But if you come to Macomb county, it is all ready and laid out and it's literally like just sit down, pick up that phone and here's the list of numbers.

You got it. It's all part of the supply chain mapping. But building those relationships with those 600 defense contractors in Macomb county, that requires a lot of work. And you know, we have a team here, economic development team, you know, their boots on the ground, visiting with these businesses, walking the floors, seeing the capabilities. But also it's probably the most important is building that relationship with the CEO or the heads of these businesses so that they are always ready and willing and prepared.

So you mentioned that coalition hiring. Vicki Selva six months in. What does success look like for the coalition happening in 2026?

Sure. Well, we built something brand new and so 2025 focused on actually just forming the organization, getting our paperwork in. It will be formed as a 501C6. It's a membership driven organization. But also looking at the SWOT analysis, what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? The last conversation I had with Vicki, you know, we see a huge gap in advocacy and that is the ability for these small businesses to have in Lansing or the voices in D.C. really coming together and having the opportunity to speak to our assets as a coalition, not as a singular entity.

Kelly, the Chamber specifically serves Macomb county businesses. But now you are part of this tri county coalition. So how do you balance advocating for Macomb while also participating in a regional strategy like this that involves Oakland and Wayne counties? Do your members see this as an opportunity or as a competition to what they're doing?

I think it's a real opportunity. You said stronger we could be or together we're faster. I always say stronger we're stronger together. And so when we look at the region, we're looking at a cohesive economic or defense ecosystem. Right. That we can be stronger. The three of us, many years ago when I first started at the Chamber, talked about we needed a strong voice from a comb and Vicki kind of captured it. I don't think people take Macomb as serious as we are and look at all the assets and resources we have. So when we look at putting what we have together with more partners and collaboration. We're going to have a stronger voice. We're going to be heard more. And even if you look at Adjutant general, General Rogers always says, any company that comes to Michigan is a benefit for all of Michigan. And so I see this coalition the same way. I see it as a really great opportunity to be a stronger voice to promote southeast of Michigan, which Macomb county is a big player in that. And we know we have the grit to do what needs to be done.

What's your philosophy on being able to maintain this deep Macomb focus while the table that you're sitting at gets bigger and more complex?

I believe in Macomb we have what it takes. We have the resources. We just need to be at the table. And we're at the table now, so I think that's really important.

So you're sitting at the table from a position of authority. It's not like Wayne and Oakland are bigger than us or stronger than us.

We got this.

Yeah, we do, Shelly. You know, we're in a place where we don't have to prove ourselves anymore. You know, our numbers speak to that. We know we've got the epicenter here in Macomb County. That's fantastic. So then how do you go from being good to great? And I think part of that is looking at, you know, the bigger picture. Having, you know, the majority of defense contractors in one region in Michigan is pretty significant and it can't be ignored. And I think, you know, from my perspective, when we work with other organizations, for example, I'm a member of Women in Defense. I'm ndia. Those are also regional organizations. They don't see the borders that we see in economic development for them. They're very pleased that there's now this coalition that they can work with me, even though I'm technically not in Macomb. Same with Kelly. It's the conversation piece that really is pretty significant to what this coalition represents.

And it speaks volumes to the small businesses that we're working with and aligning with, and the large businesses as well. Just this true belief and walking the walk of banding together and doing things as one instead of just fighting your way to the top.

And the stronger we are, that goes right to that economic development, that talent and traction. You know, we just need to tell. We gotta continue to tell our story, and we're here to be part of that story.

Mike Bernard from SAAB said that Macomb is clearly the hub for the defense industry in Michigan. Our goal is to source locally and ideally from partners with a drive, not a flight. That is significant endorsement for Macomb County. I want to hear from you. The infrastructure, the workforce, the ecosystem advantages that make drive, not flight strategy visible for somebody like Saab, for sure.

And I've known Mike for many years. This goes back to that relationship building, a previous one. He wasn't with Saab, but it was great. When he did take that job with Saab, we knew Saab was looking at Michigan. They have a significant need in missile, missile defense, missile testing, where they worked out a really great arrangement working with rtag, General Rogers up in Grayling. But there's a lot more that they can be doing, increasing their footprint in the state of Michigan and more purposely in Macomb County. The work that they're doing is missiles. That is, you know, when you talk about diversification, when we talk about Navy now we're talking missile defense. And if you look at what's happening, the strategy that we're seeing at the national level, we're going to see an uptick of spending in missile defense. You know, there's the whole notion of this Golden Dome, that technology resides in the United States. However, we have a great opportunity right now to really double down on our opportunities within missile defense, bring some of those procurement dollars. But the big picture, Shelley, is looking at it from a national defense perspective, how we're able to attract this company. They're going to work on these technologies, you know, utilizing some of the research that's coming out of our colleges and universities, but ultimately creating products that really help with our national defense and security.

For those of us that are not familiar with the Golden Dome, could you give us a recap on that?

Right, so you've got the Iron Dome in Israel. And, you know, if you follow what that Iron Dome is able to do, it protects the people that reside within Israel from missiles that are coming from their neighbors. We've got adversaries, maybe not friendly, that really are creating technologies, missiles, hypersonics, that can travel and potentially reach our soil. And so that golden Dome is how do we protect the United States from potential missile offenses? And what technology can we do to prevent that from hitting us? Oil.

Thank you.

That's defensive. And then there's the, you know, the offense side as well. You know, how do we really retain ourselves as a superpower in protecting the United States?

So Saab is out there building their supplier and their partner network in Macomb County. From your economic development work, what are the types of capabilities or certifications that the local suppliers need to try to work with or compete with Saab on this. I'm interested in kind of hearing like the most honest assessment of how many current McComb companies are ready versus how many need to step up and level up.

Right. Well, I will tell you, we do have a lot of defense companies that are primed and ready. When you're talking about missile defense, a lot of that activity does fall within classified or top secret clearances. Really getting that baseline for many of our defense companies just to be CMMC certified, this is that cybersecurity side, ensuring that whatever technical data comes into their establishment, that they are treating that data with the utmost security. That is important. That's baseline right there. We talk about businesses being prepared, their certifications, there's going to be manufacturing involved with this as well as the high tech component of it. And so we look at it from all angles. Yes, we absolutely have a supply chain that's very familiar with bending metal, looking at the metallurgy, but there's also a lot of technology that goes into that. And a lot of our businesses are prepared because of the work that they've already been doing, whether it's in aerospace or ground vehicles.

You worked with Sapa for six years before building their $143 million expansion. What lessons came out of that long term relationship and courtship that you can then apply to other international defense contractors?

SAPA was a long term scoped out project where, you know, there were moments where like, okay, is this moving forward? And it really was all dependent on getting the government contracts. That company knew it needed to invest and needed to invest locally. It brought on individuals that understood the supply chain, new people. So when you talk about being a very strategic move, it absolutely was. We're going to see consistent growth happening in that area. If you look at the platforms, the ground vehicle platforms and the type of transmissions, the new army transmissions, there's definitely now a new player sitting at the table that's really going to be seen throughout all the ground vehicles. Just because the level of efficiency that this transmission provides, that is one example. But when we're talking to international companies, you know, we've got our international landing zone. This is something that we've been in partnership with Velocity. They provide space in their co working and entrepreneurship space for these businesses. We're seeing a lot of conversations with companies internationally, whether they're coming from some of our NATO friendly countries like Poland, Israel, Canada, that know they've got to have that US footprint here, especially to compete on some of these government contracts. So having a space in the ILZ gives us the opportunity to understand and learn from them. What is their long term strategy, how can we help out, who do we need to introduce them to so that they are focused on growing their business and then we can handle all the, I don't say government bureaucracy side of it, but we find ourselves in that space where it's like we understand what does, what does it look like to become a US Corporation and finding those key industry experts who can help us along the way.

You mentioned Velocity and that's like a small business building business hub. And I think there's so many listeners that think of something like that and they imagine these entrepreneurs trying to start their own tiny little things bunkering down right coming out of their garages. But Velocity has some incredible international startup companies. Do you want to share a few of those stories?

Well, we've been working with Velocity since its inception, since it became a smart cell. This dates back almost 15 years now. It has been one of those areas where I see it as where the creative collisions happen. You've got the right team in place physically located at Velocity that are working with these startups, working not just with the startups, but some of these international companies that are new to the United States, but not startup. When you look at their longevity, you know, going back to sapa, you know, that's a company that goes back to the 15th century. You know, they've always had a footprint. The conversation we're having with SAPA now is let's look at your supply chain, you know, what you've got in Spain that those long term lasting relationships, would they be interested in moving here and they can use our Ilz similar to how SAPA was able to do that. And then from there it's, you know, how do we continuously grow that footprint, building out that workforce so that we're not competing, we're not pulling from one defense contractor that we're building new Kelly.

Saab is actively looking to form relationships with Macomb county suppliers. That's something that their CEO shared with us directly. What is the Chamber doing to help their members understand the needs of companies like Saab and how to position themselves as viable partners?

Yeah, I think that's where the Aerospace and Defense committee really comes together. We can share that information with the partners in the industry and really get that word out and prepare them and make those connections again for them. I really see that's our main focus with Saab.

Do you have any idea What a realistic timeline might look like for some of those SOB contracts.

I do not. That might be a question Vicki might have, but I usually think they take some time, don't they, Vicki?

They do. And Shelly, as you're speaking, I'm like, you know what? I got to give Mike a call. I said, we'll get that realistic timeline. Absolutely.

When a major announcement like this expansion happens, there's often a lot of excitement, but then a lot of frustration can follow when we don't see those wheels turning immediately. How do you help your chamber members to stay patient and stay persistent while they're really trying to position themselves for these opportunities that can take upwards of 12 to 18 months or more?

You know, I think the key is communication. You know, Vicki talked about her team, and the Chamber can do the same as walking alongside those companies, helping them understand the process, keeping those connections alive, reconnecting, or we're helping them work through some of that red tape, but really just walking alongside them and letting them know, if, you know, it's 12 to 18 months, then you kind of can you start to build in that patience. But it's when you sit in limbo and don't hear anything from anybody, that can be really frustrating. And that's where I think the chamber and also the economic development team at the county do a really great job of having those strong relationships and walking alongside those businesses.

You do. And I know as a government contractor myself, you said it. The government can, you know, intentionally be mute on a lot of things. They'll say, we're doing it, and then they're quiet. And it really does feel incredibly helpful when you have an element like a chamber that can sit in there as a sort of ombudsman to calm the fears and enhance our ability as human beings as we try to run these businesses and drive productivity forward.

When we look at saba, when we talked about having that voice, coming to Michigan and looking to Macomb county for suppliers really sends that message out that we're looking to portray for Macomb county in southeast Michigan that when we look at global defense companies, we're ready, we stand ready to supply what you need to do, to manufacture what you need to do. And we have the partners and supply chain here to accomplish the mission. So I think it's really significant for saab. And then as far as we talked a lot about Velocity, I think that's just such a really great tool. I've gotten to learn and walk alongside SEPA a little bit and really hear the story about how they were able to come here and start out small and grow and the supportive services that Velocity provides. And I think that's really important to our business community, especially when we're looking at bringing in those international partners.

Just revamping the newsletter in this particular project is a tangible shift towards a direct, actionable intelligence that's coming from both of you as industry leaders. And so looking at these three major developments, the maritime training, the regional coalition and the Saab expansion, what is the single most important action that a local business should take in the first quarter of this year to position themselves for success in the Macomb county defense ecosystem?

So I'm going to echo kind of what we've said on this call is really looking at forming that relationship. I think the greatest avenue to do that is through the Chambers A and D Committee. So, you know, we've got a newsletter, yes, that goes out once a quarter, but the conversation's happening daily. And part of the A and D committee is to have those conversations, those roundtable discussions. There's no cost and it's always great to hear what's being shared around the room, whether it's we're getting, you know, up to date, you know, latest on Selfridge with the big expansion happening there and the new fighter mission, whether it is updates happening with the Detroit Arsenal. You know, there are some things going on with their army transition, but to hear it directly from the source and then have that conversation, I think that's the best way. But we've got an exciting 2006. We've got an air show coming, which we're always really excited for, the opportunity to showcase what's happening with our hometown base. We'll be back at AUSA in D.C. a lot, a lot of pressure goes into that. But locally, a lot of our local events, NDIA hosts the MDEX this year. It's going to look a little different with the partnership with auvsi. And then we've got the big GVSUS conference that was all technology based engineering exciting times. But for us, we will continue with the momentum of what we've already been doing.

It is exciting times. And so Vicki's one thing to do this quarter is to subscribe to the Aerospace and Defense Committee newsletter called Macomb A and D Intel. All right, Kelly, same question for you. What is one action that our local businesses can take to jump on board this train specifically in this quarter?

I say get, get involved, you know, reach out. This is not a journey that you have to do alone. You know, we always talk about Macomb county having that family type of relationship and environment. And you have a lot of great partners with the county, with the Macomb County Chamber, with Pat and that are here to walk alongside. And you don't have to navigate alone. So reaching out, getting involved, the Aerospace and Defense Committee is a great way to make some of those connections, but there's other avenues, too. A lot of resources available. Don't walk alone.

All right, and now let's close out with this question. Kind of expanding that scope from this first quarter to the next six months. What's one development that each of you are working on right now, whether it's an upcoming event or a business attraction effort, even an infrastructure project that the newsletter readers should have on their radar?

So our last newsletter, we did talk about Selfridge and some of the major projects that are happening. We're looking at about a billion dollars in infrastructure improvements. Just a billion dollars. A lot of those projects are moving forward. We've got a new wing commander over at Selfridge. We've got some time on her calendar. We want to move forward a supplier day where our businesses can look at, on the infrastructure side, how they can get involved with that. There's been a lot of interest since our last newsletter. A lot of people reaching out, saying, you know, when is this industry day going to happen? Wanted to give Brigadier General Volker the opportunity to get settled into the role. But, yes, it will be happening and we'll keep you guys attuned to that.

Excellent. Thank you.

Kelly, how about you? What's the Chamber got on their calendar in the next six months?

You know, the Chamber is a big part of the base Community Council, so I sit on the base Community Council. And we are also a part of our foundation as a fiduciary for the airshow. So we are well underway putting together the 2026 air show. Very exciting. And have a great team, both on the Bayside and the community side, putting together, putting all their heart into an upcoming air show on May 30 and 31.

All right, thank you both so much for your updates today. Any alibis or last thoughts?

I think we're going to see a lot of opportunity for small businesses. Kind of. Getting back to the teaser I mentioned in the beginning, Shelley, you know, when we look at some of the directives coming from dc, how they're looking at traditional procurement opportunities, I'm really flipping it where it's always been. The prime gives the small business some of the opportunities where these small businesses are Looked at now as encouraged to be the prime and include your large business.

That is very exciting. Kelly, how about you?

You know, something I wrote down again, going back to Saab, when we look at that global company saying that Macomb is most likely the place that they'll build partnerships, you know, that's not by accident. That is through many years of intentional investment and relationship development. And I'll say it again, Macomb stands ready. We're excited for the future and we have a lot of great opportunities ahead of us.

All right, thank you both so much

for joining us today.

Thank you, Shelley. Good to see Kelly.

We all have red on today.

We do all have red on today. That's a fun moment.

My lights just turned off.

Perfect timing.

Look at that. We're good to go.

Kelly said something near the end of our conversation that I really haven't been able to shake.

Don't walk alone.

Three words. But coming from someone who has spent years watching businesses succeed and battle in the same ecosystem with the same opportunities in front of them, when she says this, it's not a platitude, that's a diagnosis. The businesses that are positioned for sob contracts for Selfridge supplier days, for the $1 billion of infrastructure that's moving right now, they didn't get here by working harder in isolation. They got there by staying in relationship, by showing up to the A and D committee when the agenda even was light, by calling Vicki's office before they had a problem, and by building the relationship before they needed the resource that is generate momentum. It's not urgency, it's not hustle, it's not more hours. It's the compounding return on consistent strategic priority presence with the right people in the right rooms over the long game. So here's what I want you to sit with before next Tuesday. Where are you walking alone right now? And what would it cost you to stop? What room should you be in that you haven't walked into yet? What relationship should you be building that you've been putting off just because you didn't think you had enough to bring to the table quite yet? You don't need to have something to bring. You just need to show up and that's how the table gets built. That's all for today. I'm host Shelley Rude and you can count on me every week with powerful conversations like this one about mission driven momentum. I'll see you next Tuesday solo. And we're going to talk about something that I think a lot of us are navigating quietly. Right now. There are seasons in life that are are just harder than others. Not because you're doing something wrong, but because that's the nature of certain wilderness seasons. Next week, we're talking about how to tell if you're in one right now and what you can do about it. And if you can't wait, jump over to join.OtherSofYourself.com until then, stay hardcore, be at ease, and trust the process

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