Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to announce a new Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation.

Officials hope the new office will help grow the state’s defense and aerospace industry, which already contributes $30 billion in economic activity for the state of Michigan, supporting more than 116,000 jobs and representing nearly 4,000 Michigan businesses serving the defense, defense aerospace, and homeland security industries.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. John Gutierrez (ret) will serve as its new executive director.

Read more at the link below.