Dependable, Invested, Improving
When Radia’s current president’s father bought Red Devil Equipment company nearly 30 years ago, the two of them got down to business learning all there is to know about mixing machinery and helping the company grow with their passion for engineering. The industrial paint mixers at that time were all belt-driven machines, and it turns out that belts just inherently break over time. Some people may use an opportunity like this to plan in some obsolescence so customers have to keep regularly buying machines, but that is not the sort of trouble that Radia wants to put the paint mixing community through. From the beginning, we made the conscious decision to transition from belt-driven machines to gear driven machines. Radia engineers live with the philosophy that we should build our machines to last. Though the company has gone through rebranding to change the name to Radia from Red Devil, the core values that were set at the beginning are still at the very center of the company. We build our equipment to last forever by making them durable and built with gears, we focus on commitment to family and community, and we are all about problem solving. The engineers at Radia embody these core values every day, and they do so with passion and vigor.
Core Values in Action
Our engineers are always learning, always trying to figure out what is important and what isn’t so important, and always figuring out solutions to problems they face along the way. They know that they will fail sometimes, but they know that doing so is necessary to growing and making a real, positive difference in the world of industrial mixers. Every day, our engineers come into work ready to explore new solutions and test out new ideas, designs, and concepts. They all have a desire to figure out how things work, design new things, and find creative solutions. One of our engineers even used to be a fire diver, but he obviously chose the more exciting profession. At Radia, we pride ourselves on focusing on our three core values. We are always improving in any way that we can. We, the people that work here and the products we manufacture, are dependable and reliable. We are invested in our work and in our community. Our engineers improve everyday, not only with the products that they design, but they are mindful that they can always improve themselves. They are here to help each other and all other departments because getting everything ready and out the door is a major team effort. They are also extremely invested in bettering this company, and Radia is equally as invested in allowing them to express their creativity and test out their, as one of our engineers, Garth, puts it, “more radical ideas.” Any time you think our machines can’t get any better, just remember that our engineering team is constantly working towards surprising us all and creating even more efficient, impressive products.
Problem-Solving
Radia engineers come in every morning, catch up on any customer communications, and work on new designs to help solve current problems and test out new solutions. They all have the creativity and drive necessary to help Radia create the best product out there. Garth goes on to say that, “Everyone here seems to have a drive to be the best out there. We are continuing to incorporate new technology and develop the best mixers and shakers on the market.” By listening to our customers, our engineering team has solved problems from reversing the motor and flipping the extractor arm in our 5025 machines to turn them into right-handed pull extractors to converting twist timers to solid state electronics, which have no moving parts and are much more reliable.
Gearing Up for the Future
Though they are experts at upgrading industrial paint mixers, our principal engineer, Steve, says that he is also excited about the future of Radia because of our “ability to make equipment for any market.” Ross, another one of our engineers, agrees with this by saying that “new models are being designed to match today’s market and technology.” He spends his days testing and testing some more until he sees significant improvements in our products, and that, along with everything else all of our engineers embody, makes us so excited for the future of this company. We are not slowing down because the engineers here will always be trying to be their best and improve on their (already impressive) work. Our machines mix so much more than paint—just read our first blog if you’re not convinced! Keep up with us because we’re keeping up with you!