Richard & Richard Construction Company Inc.

Based in San Diego, Richard & Richard Construction Company Inc. has been working in the commercial, design-build and industrial markets throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and North Dakota for more than 25 years. Richard & Richard handles a diverse scope of projects, spanning the public and private sector, all supported by years of industry experience working for private developers, public agencies, municipalities, commercial developers, architects, engineers, military clients and more.

Above and beyond industry standards

Specializing in the commercial sector, Richard & Richard understands a building is much more than a structure; it’s also the basis for a business. “We understand that your space must be a physical testament to your vision,” says Rick Woolsey, founder and CEO of Richard & Richard. “That’s why, before we set the first nail, we make sure we understand not just project parameters, but our client’s idea of business success.”

And Richard & Richard is willing to do whatever it takes to reach that success benchmark. “For us, ‘scope of work,’ is merely a starting point,” says Woolsey. “Our team members instinctively reach for greater success by addressing each item while aiming for the best possible end result. While other companies focus on industry standards for quality and workmanship, our standard is whatever it takes to achieve success.”

After years in working for a large construction company and obtaining a construction management degree from LSU, Woolsey formed Richard & Richard in 1991. “The company started out of my garage,” he recounts. “After years at a larger company, I had a solid foundation to start my own business working on small tenant improvement jobs.”

“Fast forward about 25 years and Richard & Richard is now a multistate contractor with about $50 million in growth and more coming this year,” says Woolsey. “We have worked hard and we’re fortunate and blessed to have repeat customers and people who allow us to build bigger and better things every day.”

Woolsey says the recession put the brakes on Richard & Richards’s progress slightly, but after making adjustments, things are picking back up to boom-time speeds. “We currently have 60 to 70 employees across locations in California, Arizona, Nevada and North Dakota,” he adds.

Spotlight projects

Richard & Richard is experienced in design-build delivery, ground-up construction, federal and medical lab work, multifamily and microbrewery work, as well as large-scale corporate retail projects.

“In San Diego, the firm delivered the Premier Jet Center at Palomar Airport, where we completed 220,000 square feet of private airport space valued at $21 million,” says Woolsey. “From preconstruction through final clean up, we brought the project in on-time and within budget.”

Another favorite job was an 18,000-square-foot tenant improvement, featuring new offices, conference rooms, restrooms and break rooms for Comic Con. Located in a historic downtown San Diego building, the open-office layout and perimeter windows in the building allow for natural light, reducing power consumption and promoting employee productivity. The walls were painted bright colors to match Comic Con’s fun working environment.

Richard & Richard is currently tackling a unique climbing center project. “We’re taking out the foundation and raising the walls of the facility by 65 feet or so to make tall rock walls,” says Woolsey. “It’s not our largest project but it’s an interesting scope of work.”

Woolsey says the company also has several high-density multifamily projects in the works for 2015. “The recession was tough to get through over the last four or five years, especially because we didn’t want to lose key people,” says Woolsey. “But we try to treat people fair, with honesty and integrity in our work and we’re very active in the community, between the Special Olympics, Wounded Warrior Support and renovating Little League fields. We try to do the right thing and that has worked well for us.”

Woolsey says even after 25 years in the industry, he’s still passionate about his line of work. “It’s never the same every day,” he says. “One day you’re working on a dormitory, the next it’s an airport or a restaurant and you’re building client satisfaction. I enjoy building cool facilities and helping people out.”

Since forming Richard & Richard, Woolsey and his team have been dedicated to building client success. The company strives for excellence, building honest relationships and trusted partnerships. That’s the basis of business for Richard & Richard Construction Company Inc.