Black Business Profile: Bridgewater Interiors LLC

Founded	1998
Revenue	2,000,000,000
Employees	2,400

• Bridgewater Interiors LLC is a Detroit-based joint venture between privately-held Epsilon Technologies LLC and Adient (NYSE: ADNT). Established in April 1998, Bridgewater is an automotive interiors manufacturing company specializing in just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, sequencing and delivery of seating, overhead and center console systems.
• The company assembles seating systems for automotive industry OEMS at its three facilities in Michigan and one in Alabama. Bridgewater is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) employing more than 2,000 employees and is one of the largest African American owned companies in the U.S.
• President and CEO Ronald E. Hall, Sr. was identified to lead the organization after a long and successful career in corporate management, entrepreneurship, and economic development, including a distinguished tenure heading the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council.
• Bridgewater quickly established relevance in the automotive supplier space, as its initial five-year GM contract was the largest contract ever awarded to a racial minority-owned business by an automaker.
• Today, the company is a joint venture between Epsilon and publicly traded Adient plc (NYSE: ADNT) and has expanded from one Detroit location with 133 employees to four facilities in two U.S. states with 2,400 employees. Its customer list, meanwhile, has expanded from one automaker to four, including GM, Honda Manufacturing of America, Ford Motor Company, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles – supporting 11 different vehicle models.

Ronald E. Hall Jr.

Ronald Hall Jr (Left) and Ronald Hall Sr. (Right)

Ronald E. Hall Jr. is the president and CEO of Bridgewater Interiors. He joined to company in 2007, and prior to his role as CEO, he served as vice president and general counsel. Hall earned a juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a bachelor’s in international political economy from West Point.

Ronald Hall Sr. was a well-known business leader before the creation of Bridgewater. From 1992 to 1998 he served as president of the Michigan Minority Supplier Business Development Council. During his tenure, he negotiated with 20 companies to begin, or improve, contract benchmarks for minority-owned suppliers.

He also Served as president and CEO of equipment leasing company Renaissance Capital Alliance and was former chairman and CEO of New Center Stamping. He also owned the travel agency Departure Travel Management.

He served as assistant vice president of New Detroit Inc., a coalition created by former Gov. George Romney, former Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh and The J.L. Hudson Co. founder Joseph Hudson Jr. to gain more minority procurement from major projects in the city.

Hall Sr. had served on the boards of Fifth Third Bank’s local operations, Boy Scouts of America Southeast Michigan, American Diabetes Association, Booker T. Washington Business Association and the former Detroit Renaissance (now Business Leaders for Michigan).

Hall Sr. earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and an MBA from Wayne State University.