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The VA-120 Vantage long-endurance vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft pictured on the Vertical Autonomy website.  (August 11, 2026 12:12 AM ET) Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced three new small business expansion announcements in Jackson and Hillsdale Counties, Berrien and Kalamazoo Counties, and Kent County that will result in more than $42.2 million in capital investment, creating at least 182 new jobs. “Michigan is on the move and open for business, competing for and winning big projects in next-generation industries like defense and medical manufacturing,” said Governor Whitmer. “These three business expansions will create 182 new good-paying jobs and help cement Michigan as the best place to chase the next big idea. Let’s keep working together to show the world that Michigan is the best place to build the future.” Vertical Autonomy, a Michigan-based unmanned systems company that designs, manufactures, and operates advanced vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) autonomous aircraft and supporting autonomy systems, has announced plans to establish a centralized manufacturing and operations hub in Jackson County and upgrade existing infrastructure in Hillsdale County. As a newly formed organization resulting from the acquisition of unmanned aircraft assets and intellectual property formerly held by L3Harris, Vertical Autonomy is seeking to consolidate and relocate key operational assets currently located in California and Arizona to Michigan. The company currently occupies a…