Over the past several decades, growing globalization made offshoring popular among companies looking to save on labor, manufacturing, and other costs. However, due to changing geopolitical situations, the reverse trend of reshoring, or bringing manufacturing and services back to the US from overseas, has started gaining steam as companies realize the importance of securing their manufacturing base in the US.
Amid these changing industry trends, some companies have kept their manufacturing on American soil, not simply to follow trends and showcase themselves in a certain way but instead simply to do what they believe is right. One such company is RGF Environmental Group, a leading manufacturer of over 500 environmental products across the air purification, water treatment, and food sanitation industries. By keeping all its operations stateside, RGF generates jobs for Americans and contributes to the growth of the US economy.
Founded in 1985 by former nuclear industry engineer Ron Fink, RGF designs, engineers, manufactures, and distributes environmental solutions for industrial and consumer applications. RGF took the process of catalytic oxidation, or the use of UV light to create oxidative compounds for water treatment, and integrated it into various other technologies, such as air purification. The company eventually expanded into other industries, such as fire and flood remediation, odor control, and food safety.
After almost four decades, RGF has created around 500 different products and installed over 4 million units worldwide. Today, RGF is a global leader in developing turnkey environmental solutions, ensuring the safety of clients’ air, water, and food systems. An ISO 9001:2015-certified company, RGF holds numerous patents and places focus on innovative thinking, making it a prolific launch pad for industry-leading products.
RGF’s headquarters are located at the Port of Palm Beach Enterprise Zone, spanning 10 acres with 220,000 square feet of manufacturing, warehouse, and office facilities. RGF is continually upgrading its facilities and adopting an increasingly vertical approach to manufacturing. This gives the company greater control over quality across its supply chain and allows it to lower manufacturing costs and offset inflationary pressures. Over the years, RGF has acquired several of its suppliers and service providers, with the most recent being Southeast Coating & Fabrication, a Florida-based powder coating company. As well as acquiring outside business, the company also innovates internally. One previous endeavor saw RGF developing their own UV lamp manufacturer, allowing it to make UV lamps of various sizes for its line of air purifiers.
According to RGF, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in greater attention being paid to
HVAC systems and indoor air quality, especially in homes and offices. One of RGF’s flagship products is the REME HALO® Whole Home In-Duct Air Purifier, which actively improves indoor air quality by exposing UVC light to an advanced catalyst, creating naturally occurring concentrations of gaseous hydrogen peroxide in the air, reducing various airborne microbes.
Most of RGF’s products use UV light and advanced oxidation technologies, reducing reliance on artificial chemicals. These products are trusted by large industrial companies as well as major brands in the food service and hospitality industries, both domestic and international.
Aside from keeping its manufacturing capabilities within the US, RGF also places emphasis on employee retention and career development. Several employees have been with the company for more than 35 years, and RGF reinvests a significant portion of its profits in training and upskilling, as well as providing cost-of-living benefits such as fuel cards to help employees cope with the rising cost of fuel.
With RGF’s continued focus on research & development and rapidly adapting to customers’ needs, it benefits from a first mover advantage in many of the industries it is active in. As people become more health-conscious and regulations become stricter, RGF is poised to continue as a leader in its field, providing natural and innovative environmental systems while strengthening the American economy with its all-domestic manufacturing policy.
Published by: Khy Talara
