Crain’s Detroit Business Profiles Yousif Ghafari in American Dreams Special Report

Yousif B. Ghafari, Chairman and Founder of Ghafari Associates, was profiled in a Crain’s Detroit Business special report called “American Dreams”. The report features ten entrepreneurs that represent a cross-section of countries, industries, and stories and have all made a positive impact on their communities.

Yousif’s entrepreneurial interest started at a young age during his childhood in a small village in Lebanon.

“My uncle owned a small supermarket, and as a child I used to help him. I was doing a little general ledger work at age of 9 or 10,” he said.

He immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1970s to pursue an undergraduate degree and started Ghafari Associates in 1982 with the idea of marrying technology and engineering to serve clients more efficiently. As a young engineer working primarily with clients in the manufacturing sector, he recognized the potential of computer-aided design (CAD) technology at a time when the EAC industry still relied on paper drawings as its standard. He established Ghafari in Southeast Michigan as a CAD services provider, laying the foundation for a proud tradition of innovation and client care that continues today.

Under Yousif’s leadership, Ghafari has evolved from a Detroit-area CAD shop to an international, full-service engineering, architecture, process design, consulting, and construction firm serving clients across a variety of demanding industries. In his current role as chairman, he has drawn upon his knowledge of the global business environment to guide Ghafari’s expansion to markets outside of the U.S.

In reflecting on the global organization he started, he is proud of the diversity of the Ghafari team.

“Engineering is like the United Nations,” he said. “Very international…we all work together.”

Read the full profile here.