ASSOCIATED WIRE ROPE FABRICATORS: 2014 Spring General Meeting Speaker Spotlight: Rick Sawin
Rick Sawin, Charleston’s Rigging & Marine Hardware – Retired
Rick and his twin brother, Doug, and were born April 25, 1950. They grew up in an Air Force officer’s career. Travel extensively in the United States, Asia and Europe. Rick graduated from Norfolk State College, May of 1971 (now Norfolk State University) from a federally sponsored Teacher Corp Program with a degree in Elementary Education. Rick and Valerie Oxley were married in December of 1971. Rick then started teaching 3rd and 4th grades in Norfolk, Virginia 1971-1973. Following that he taught in the Virginia Beach Gifted program 3rd grade 1974-1977. He left teaching in 1977 to work for J. Henry Holland Corp, a heavy marine, rigging and industrial supply house in Virginia Beach. He was their salesman for Newport News, Hampton and the upper peninsula of Virginia. He was then asked by John Holland to go to Wilmington, North Carolina to be the Manager of newly acquired Newell Davis Co in July 1984. Rick then went on to start Charleston’s Rigging & Marine Hardware in July of 1988 with his wife Valerie, one shop rigger and an outside salesman. Valerie was the bookkeeper, nylon sewer and mother of Skip and Jessica, their son and daughter. In 1991 they left the 10,000 square foot building and bought the current location across the street which was a 30,000 square foot facility. They expanded and opened Carolina’s Rigging in Columbia in 1996, Charleston’s Crane Inspection and Hoist Repair in 1998 and then Carolina’s Rigging in Augusta, Georgia in 2001. The Charleston location was enlarged to 40,000 square feet in 2009.
Daughter, Jessica came into the business in 2006 to learn Valerie’s job and Valerie retired in 2008. Skip, who had his own custom kitchen cabinet business, came into the family business in 2009. Valerie and Rick then sold the corporation to Jessica, who is President; and Skip, who is Vice President, in July of 2011 and fully retired at that point.
Presentation: Succession Planning – “A Family Adventure”
See the full schedule of activities or visit the speaker schedule to learn more about our 2014 Spring General Meeting.
Source Article: http://awrf.org/2014/04/08/2014-spring-general-meeting-speaker-spotlight-rick-sawin/
