In 1958, Ray Biddle Sr. left his job to purchase a used grinding machine and with his newly married wife, Marilyn, started R&B Grinding Co., Inc.
Sixty-one years later, with 200 pieces of manufacturing equipment, 120 full-time employees, $20 million of business and as the third largest steel component supplier to a Fortune 500 company, R&B Grinding has been named the Racine 2019 Manufacturing Business of the Year by Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce.
Ray’s death in 2014 did not aff ord him the honor of this prestigious accomplishment. As the sixth-born of Ray and Marilyn’s children, Barbara Lange assumed the role of president of R&B Grinding in 2017 during a very challenging time with eroding margins and declining sales. Leading her older sister Linda and brother Ray Jr., Barbara embarked on strategically developing their leadership team and, with her father’s business tenacity and devotion to her employees, has led R&B Grinding to new operational and financial heights.
