Dr. William Pickard, Chairman of the Global Automotive Alliance, is the epitome of an entrepreneur. With his blend of business acumen, ingenuity, and charisma, Dr. Pickard cemented himself as a visionary and as one of the most connected men in Michigan. Through his many business ventures, Dr. Pickard opened new gateways for minority entrepreneurs and helped lay the groundwork for MBEs in the automotive industry. The Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council is proud to induct Dr. William F. Pickard into the Michigan Minority Business Hall of Fame.

Dr. Pickard’s strength lies in the relationships he forged over his career. His desire to help others, his ability to develop fruitful lifetime partnerships, and his commitment to empowering those coming up after him are Dr. Pickard’s trademark attributes and can be traced back to his college days. While studying for his bachelor’s degree at Western Michigan University, Pickard joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. with his roommate, former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer and former MMSDC President and 2016 Michigan Minority Business Hall of Fame inductee, Ron Hall. This friendship laid the foundation for future success for all three men. After graduating from WMU, went on to earn his Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan in 1965 and began a career of public service, first as the director of education at the Cleveland Urban League and then, in 1967, as Executive Director of the NAACP. It was at the NAACP where he began to see the opportunities available for African-American entrepreneurs. After a successful boycott of McDonald’s caused by their lack of Black franchise owners, executives from
the Columbus, Ohio office reached out to Pickard to assess his interest in a franchise. Dr. Pickard, who 2017 ACE Awards Program FINAL.indd 22 11/29/17 9:22 AM 23 was working on his Doctorate at Ohio State University at the time, jumped at the chance of ownership. With the help of two partners and support from the Small Business Administration, Dr. Pickard took out a student loan and purchased his first McDonalds franchise, becoming one of the first African American franchise owners in the United States.

After growing his McDonald’s enterprise to 9 locations, Dr. Pickard began exploring other entrepreneurial ventures. At this junction, his relationships proved beneficial once again. Looking to expand into auto dealerships, Pickard contacted his mentor, Francis A. Kornegay, then President of the Detroit Urban League, to see what he could do to help. Mr. Kornegay delivered in a big way – providing Pickard a personal introduction and recommendation to Henry Ford II, President & CEO of Ford Motor Company. After informing him of the need for minority auto suppliers, Dr. Pickard’s conversation with Henry Ford II proved to be a life-changing experience, leading him to purchase Regal Plastics in 1984.

In any entrepreneurial journey, there are roadblocks and setbacks, and Dr. Pickard was not immune to them. After purchasing the bankrupt Regal Plastics, William Pickard grabbed hold of the company’s finances and was able to pay its creditors the agreed upon settlement eight months in advance. With the future bright, Dr. Pickard set his sights on aggressively expanding the company. The decision proved to be a miscalculation – overexpansion and an automotive downturn proved fatal for the business, forcing Dr. Pickard to shut the doors. However, this was not the end of William Pickard, he internalized Henry Ford’s words, “Failure is the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently” and began to work on his latest venture in the automotive industry.

Shortly after his work with Regal Plastics, Dr. Pickard began to acquire shares in a variety of other minoritybusinesses in the automotive space. While most weren’t sure what the end goal was, Pickard always had a vision. When he finally owned 51% of six firms, he founded the Global Automotive Alliance (GAA) in 1989. The move was groundbreaking for a minority business owner. Pickard surveyed the industry and
saw the trend of consolidation taking place in the automotive industry. He then decided to buck the trend of forming a joint venture with a major supplier and instead, forged partnerships with fellow MBEs to further grow their business and one another.

At GAA, nearly 50 percent of the employees and more than 30 percent of management were minorities. Global Auto Alliance became the first minority-owned group of tier-one and tier-two suppliers of plastic parts to the top three U.S. automakers. By 2004 the firm employed 1,275 people and had sales of $235 million. In 2001, The Detroit News named Pickard a Michiganian of the Year for his business success, civic leadership, and philanthropy. The William F. Pickard Living Center at Grand Valley State University, where he served on the board for 11 years, is named in his honor – and the Dr. William F. Pickard Business Scholarship supports first-generation students at the institution.

Pickard has also served the community on numerous business and non-profit boards including Asset Acceptance Capital Corporation, Michigan National Bank, LaSalle Bank, Business Leaders for Michigan, National Urban League, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce. In 2017, Western Michigan University named two Residence Halls and a Conference Room in Heritage Hall
after Dr. Pickard, Ronald Hall Sr., and Dennis Archer. Now, the Michigan Minority Supplier DevelopmentCouncil is proud to induct Dr. William F. Pickard into the Michigan Minority Business Hall of Fame.