RIDGID is celebrating a major milestone this year: 100 years of designing and building innovative tools trusted on job sites around the world and handed down from generation to generation. On Saturday, July 29, the company commemorated the occasion by inviting employees past and present, along with their families, to an open house event filled with food, music, entertainment, children’s activities, plant tours and more. Nearly 1,000 employees, retirees and their family members attended the festivities.

“All year we have been celebrating our anniversary alongside our customers and tradespeople around the world,” said Craig Sumner, president of professional tools for Emerson. “Bringing the celebration home to our Elyria headquarters was a great way for us to gather with the people who made our 100-year milestone possible: our employees, retirees and their families. These are the people who built and continue to build the products that set us apart.”

The festivities included a beer tent where adult guests could sample “RIDGID Wrenched 100 IPA,” a specialty beer developed in collaboration with Unplugged Brewing Company in Elyria, Ohio. Families spent the day playing carnival games, inflatable darts, inflatable golf and taking rides on giant trikes while listening to live music. A highlight of the open house included plant tours, where attendees learned about the company’s plans for expansion and their continued commitment to growth.

“We made this a family affair because we wanted to treat our employees and retirees to a full day of fun and celebration,” said Jordan Weber, employee engagement manager for RIDGID. “Inviting our retirees back made this occasion extra special. Seeing their faces while witnessing the innovative changes we’ve made to our manufacturing facility and hearing about their experiences over the years was an important way to recognize how far we’ve come throughout our 100 years in business.”

Photo courtesy of RIDGID

RIDGID has had a manufacturing presence in Ohio since the company was founded in 1923. The 27-acre complex in Elyria is the world headquarters for the brand’s operation and is considered a hub for innovation with a recently renovated state-of-the-art shipping and receiving area that helps the company deliver products faster and more efficiently. Over the next several years, the company has plans for additional investments in the area, transforming the southeast corner of Elyria into a vertically integrated, automated manufacturing center of excellence.

To learn more about RIDGID, visit RIDGID.com.