Willard “Bill” Pierce was born on October 15, 1918, in western Kentucky. He later moved to Detroit with his family, where he met Jessie. Bill and Jessie married, and Bill began a career with Montgomery Ward as a clerk. A natural salesman, Bill was promoted, and in 1950 Bill and Jessie, along with their two young sons, Joe and Gary, moved to Hastings, Michigan, where Bill worked as a manager.
Although Bill’s career with Montgomery Ward was bright, Bill had found his home in Hastings and didn’t want to relocate his family to pursue further opportunities with the department store. Bill had an opportunity to move into manufacturing, and, while working at Orchard Industries, he met Doug DeCamp. In 1961, the two founded a new company, Flexfab, a flexible hose manufacturer. That company still has its headquarters in Hastings and is privately held by the DeCamp family today.
In 1988, Bill and Jessie formed The Willard G. Pierce and Jessie M. Pierce Foundation as a way to give back to the people and community that meant so much to them. The Foundation awarded grants to numerous Barry County non-profit organizations for many years. Shortly before their deaths in 1998, Bill and Jessie came up with the idea of building an environmental education center – the result of visiting a friend’s house and enjoying the natural beauty of Barry County.
In August of 1998, a parcel of 555 acres in Baltimore Township was purchased and protected by a conservation easement held by the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. The property was owned by Dr. H. Lewis Batts, a key leader in Michigan’s environmental efforts in the 1960s and 1970s. Later, the Institute purchased four additional parcels, bringing the total to 661 acres. Construction of a research laboratory, visitor center, education building, and housing units began that same year and was completed by February 2001. Pierce Cedar Creek Institute celebrated its grand opening in June 2001.
The Institute, a mix between a nature center and biological field station, began developing programs to serve the community, while also building partnerships with area colleges and universities to serve their faculty and students.
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2011. The theme for the year-long celebration, which represents the heart and soul of the Institute, is personal stewardship - what it means to care for the environment around us, and our personal commitment to our community. Throughout the year, special programs are planned to emphasize how each of us can build upon our own land ethic and do what we can to care for the community around us. Bill and Jessie Pierce began by doing what they could, and we continue to honor their commitment to personal stewardship in our ongoing service to all who come to the Institute to connect with the land.