R&B Wire Products of Santa Ana, California, a leading manufacturer of commercial laundry carts, hampers and material handling equipment, was awarded the Orange County Business Journal’s 19th annual Family Owned Business Award in the publication’s medium size business category for companies with 31 to 100 employees.
Third generation Rawlins family member, Grant Rawlins, accepted the award. “It’s a huge honor to be receiving this award, on behalf of my family, specifically my father Rick, and my late grandfather, Rea. They are the ones who laid the foundation on which R&B stands.”
Rick Rawlins’s father, Rea Rawlins, bought the business in 1966 for what he said was “a very small amount of money.” “It was small enough to afford, but large enough that we saw potential,” Rick said. “Fast forward to 2018 and laundry carts remain at the core of our business, which is now global.”
Two other growth sectors expanding the company’s portfolios of products are the hospitality and health care arenas. R&B recently doubled its manufacturing and distribution operation to 60,000 square feet. Recently, the company provided carts for the new Lido House hotel as part of builder Bob Olson’s (R.D. Olson Development) commitment to use locally sourced products whenever possible.
The Rawlins family supports KidWorks, a Santa Ana based nonprofit that provides academic, spiritual and leadership programs for underserved children and teens. Rick Rawlins currently serves as a member of its advisory board.
Grant Rawlins worked a variety of jobs in the R&B Wire Products’ factory during summer breaks while going to school. He graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California with a degree in integrated marketing and communications. While there, he played on the water polo team coached by legendary Olympic water polo player and coach Terry Schroeder.
This R&B Laundry Cart once took a spin on an episode of Friends.
