Ronald Hall Sr. enjoys an especially rich and storied history in Detroit’s minority business space. The business and civic leader is president and CEO of Bridgewater Interiors, an auto seating supply company which he established in 1998. The company currently has four locations nationwide, servicing General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and Honda auto manufacturers.
But of all of the beloved business leader’s accomplishments, he is most remembered for his very productive stint at the Michigan Minority Business Development Council (now the Michigan Minority Supplier Diversity Council). In Hall’s capable hands, the organization exploded on to the national scene to become one of the premier minority business organizations in the country. During his tenure, MMBDC’s minority business and corporate membership more than double, and with that, the group’s influence on regional and statewide business matters flourished.
The small business champion, was also a key player in minority business development initiatives for New Detroit, Inc., the nation’s first urban coalition. And when the opportunity presented to form his own company and establish a joint venture with Johnson Controls, Hall recognized the potential the minority-owned designation held. “In my opinion, the minority designation was the tiebreaker,” says Hall of winning a $900 million contract to be the exclusive provider of seats for Cadillac DeVille. Bridgewater secured financing to construct a 125,000-squarefoot assembly plant in Detroit. “The introduction of the Tier Two program for minority suppliers by the Big Three auto dealers —Ford, General motors and Chyrsler — has had a resounding effect [on a wide rage industries,”explains Hall.
Hall continues to play an active role in business and civic organizations across the State of Michigan, including Business Leaders for Michigan, The Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce, Booker T. Washington Business Association, National Athletic Amateur Union (AAU) and a host of public and private entities. He also, served as past Chairman of Southeastern Michigan Junior Achievement and the American diabetes Association of Michigan.
On a lighter note, Hall has been Michigan Boys’ AAU Basketball Chairman for 32 years and under his leadership, the number of local AAU boys’ basketball teams has grown from one club to over 200 clubs serving more than 2500 athletes annually.
