Like in its neighbor Detroit, the economy in Rochester Hills, Michigan, is driven by the auto industry. Local businesses make parts for vehicles assembled in the U.S. and Canada using materials from Southeast Asia, Mexico and beyond, Mayor Bryan Barnett told Smart Cities Dive. “Four out of five businesses in our city get something from somewhere else,” he said.
An uncertain federal tariff policy — including the latest announced tariffs between the U.S. and Canada — is causing the majority of Rochester Hills’ businesses to cut back, according to an informal survey of 40 to 50 local businesses conducted earlier this year, Barnett said.
“Almost 70% said they were cutting new capital investment in 2026. What that means to me is they’re not hiring, they’re not building a new line, they’re not investing in products and/or plants,” Barnett said. “From a local community’s perspective, this is about investment and job creation of our largest industry. This has shaken us to the core.”
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