Richards Brush starts in Moses Lake facility

Company hopes to grow into national firm from within Basin community

MOSES LAKE — Beginning next week, the number of production companies in town goes up by one.

Richards Brush Manufacturing begins production in its new Moses Lake facility Monday morning.

Richards Brush managing member Jim Carroll announced, at a Grant County Economic Development Council board of directors meeting in September, the 101-year-old company would be moving its manufacturing plant to Moses Lake from Seattle. Richards Brush produces products for industrial, commercial and home use, including rotary brushes for agricultural and food processors, custom industrial brushes and staple catalog items.

Operators start the first step of training Monday on brand-new, state of the art equipment that arrived Wednesday from Borghi, a company in Modena, Italy. A technician for training from the American affiliate of Borghi will be on site for four days beginning Monday.

The easiest way to begin producing is on the job training, production supervisor and master brush maker Keith Wendorff explained, adding the machine allows the company to do about 90 percent of everything it manufactures.

"It's important to note that this is state-of-the-art brush making equipment here," said Don Sander, vice president of manufacturing. "What you see sitting here on the floor is about $300,000 worth of equipment. That's our commitment to Moses Lake —not only to bring premium jobs, but to match that with the latest in brush making technology, so that we can take full advantage of the economy here, that we can take full advantage of the markets that are available to us."

In the first go, Sander said, the company will start with four operators, a warehouse manager and a shipping clerk. Upon arrival of the rest of the machines from Seattle, the company will ultimately employ more than 20 people full-time.

Sander said the move began with creation of a manageable environment inside the plant on North Frontage Road, which had been vacant.

"Everything in here, with the exception of the ceiling, has got a fresh coat of paint," he said. "If we are a brush making company, we should have a facility that mirrors the products that we make, which is first quality."

Both Sander and Wendorff are new to the Moses Lake area. Wendorff has worked for Richards Brush for 20 years, and Sander joined in October, moving to the region from Iowa.

Sander said that the community has been welcoming of the company.

"From a business planning aspect, certainly the EDC — (executive director) Terry Brewer is a big part of the reason why we're here," Sander said, extending further kudos to the previous owner of the building, GCEDC member Dale Walker, as well as to Work Force and Skills Source. "We got more applications than I would have ever thought."

Carroll said that the company is about where it expected to be in terms of the arrival of its machine and the condition of the Moses Lake facility and its readiness for the machine, and that the community has been gracious since the announcement of his company's move to Moses Lake.

"People have gone out of their way, either individually or as businesses, to make us feel welcome," he said.

The next step is to move the balance of the company's manufacturing equipment to the Moses Lake facility. Carroll estimated that move will take place within the week.

Something Richards Brush has not yet witnessed but hopes to see, Carroll said, is the support of local businesses in terms of offering the company's products for resale. He said Richards Brush will be working to develop relationships with local merchants in the hardware, home center, lumber, farm, feed and industrial classes "so that our products are represented in the community where they are made."

In moving to Moses Lake, Carroll said, the goal is for Richards Brush to become a low cost, world-class domestic producer, as opposed to other manufacturing companies which Carroll has seen go offshore to China and other countries.

"We want to remain, but we also want to grow from a regional to a national firm," he said, adding that the plan is for the company's growth to emanate from Moses Lake and then be supported by a distribution center — Carroll stressed that this is not another manufacturing facility — in the eastern or midwestern part of the U.S. "Our goal is to grow within the community."