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Manufacturing mainstay a three-generation wonder |
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Written by Rebeca Kuropatwa
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 |
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Winnipeg – Back in 1939, Abraham Rich and brother-in-law Danny Kettner started up a little company not knowing how far it would go. The business was first called Winnipeg Pants and Sportswear.
Fast forward 71 years later to 2010, and this “little company” is still going strong, led by Abraham’s son David (66) and grandson Gavin (43). David is the business owner and CEO and Gavin is the vice-president.
Thinking back about his father, David recalled, “He started out with just four sewing machines and did all the pressing and cutting himself.
“Those first few years were a very tough time to start a business. Because of the war, a lot of fabrics were allocated by the government. My father had very little money and was working day and night.”
Over the years, Abraham had a few different partners.
“One of the best and most long-term was with Rub [Ruben] Ludwick, who he partnered with in the early ’50s,” said David.
In 1957, Levi Strauss bought the pants part of the business from Rich and Ludwick.
Around this time, David was just finishing high school.
He said, “Rub wanted out, so the Rich family decided to keep the business going with a new focus on jackets.”
Now in its 71st year, the then-new company was dubbed Richlu, for Rich and Ludwick. It became a successful national work outerwear manufacturer, with outerwear known for its high quality, heavy insulation, and comfort.
Richlu is one of the only local garment makers to maintain its production (factory, head office, and three distribution centres) in Winnipeg. Most others have either switched over to importing their entire production operations from low-cost offshore locations or have closed shop altogether.
“We keep Richlu in Winnipeg, because our customers want Made in Manitoba products under work wear lines like Tough Duck,” said David. “And, until our customers stop wanting it, we’ll continue making it.
“I’m a big fan of Winnipeg. It’s a terrific, family hamishe city. And, although winters are a little tough, they aren’t that bad – especially if you have some top quality outerwear.”
Tough economic times hit Canada’s manufacturing sector especially hard, and David admitted, “It’s been brutal, but we’re doing extremely well considering – even managing to maintain our sales projections. We were the first to feel the recession and the first to recover from it. Others in the clothing business have fallen like flies.”
Richlu sells its Tough Duck and Work King lines in hundreds of stores across Canada, including big names like Mark’s Work Warehouse, Cabella’s, Canadian Tire, The Bay and Peavey Mart. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 February 2010 )
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