Success In Your Hands
The International Economic Development Council Tours Arlington ’ s Entertainment District
One of Arlington ’ s most respected and longest-operating companies is one you may have never even heard of . RICCA Chemical Company was founded in 1975 and has since grown to be North America ’ s largest independent manufacturer of ready-to-use analytical solutions and standards for labs and manufacturers .
Like most thriving companies , RICCA exists because its founder had a profound idea for a better way and acted upon it . Dr . Paul J . Ricca was a busy chemist back in 1975 when he
noticed that lab techs wasted valuable time
mixing solutions and preparing chemicals to perform tests . He realized that if labs had chemicals on-hand , pre-mixed and right-sized , they would be much more efficient . From that vision , RICCA Chemical was born .
Today , this Arlington company is also a remarkable success story . RICCA ’ s thoughtful growth plan , which by coincidence had accelerated rapidly in the three years before the pandemic crisis , allowed it to weather the pandemic ’ s economic and operational turmoil with resilience and positive performance .
“ Dr . Ricca ’ s vision centers as much on service and efficiency as it does on products , so RICCA was engineered to provide quality and redundancy .” The company expanded with distribution and laboratory / manufacturing facilities in California , Indiana and Maryland – strategic locations that enable RICCA to serve its customers with ready supplies and prompt delivery thanks to their proximity . RICCA was already renowned for its chemical expertise and supply sourcing , so the added geographic reach solidifies it as a premier provider in the chemical industry .
These moves , along with recent product line expansions in topical creams and gels , put RICCA in a right place , right time position just when America ( and the world ) needed it most . At the time , they were strategically focused on creating and delivering new products in the sanitizer arena to help combat COVID-19 . RICCA now has an impressive lineup of formulations for gel sanitizers , cleaning agents and similar products that have been developed and registered with the FDA .
To meet demand , RICCA hired extra help in its manufacturing centers so that it can ramp up production of its hand sanitizer products . The initial sales focus was on the areas of most critical need , such as nursing homes , hospice care , fire departments and first responders , as well as local delivery services . So , while you might not yet see RICCA hand sanitizers on your grocery store shelves , the products are literally in the hands of
those we depend on . A model business and true success story here in Arlington .
The Arlington Economic Development Corporation hosted , and sold out , a tour of the Entertainment District for the International Economic Development Council ’ s Annual Conference . The Annual Conference , hosted in Dallas , convenes economic developers , community leaders , businesses committed to economic development , academics , and stakeholders to learn about cutting edge strategies and foster new relationships through educational tours and innovative programming .
Fifty economic development professionals and leaders from across the country gathered to tour AT & T Stadium , Globe Life Field , Texas Live ! Live ! by Loewe ’ s hotel , and were provided the opportunity to hear and learn from a panel of experts who were instrumental in making the District what it is today .
The tour provided a great opportunity to highlight the assets and history of the district , the innovative publicprivate partnerships that made it successful and reinforce the City of Arlington as an economic development leader in the region and state .