“When I first started building walk-in refrigerators in 1979, there were about seven companies doing it in the Bay Area,” said Ben Plant, owner of Rudy’s Commercial Refrigeration on Rumrill Boulevard. “I’m the only one left.”
Now he’s expanding.
At this week’s San Pablo Planning Commission meeting, Plant received unanimous approval to expand Rudy’s, a business originally purchased and operated by his father in 1947, with a third location. All three building sites are located within a short distance on Rumrill.
The project will involve construction of a 25,549-square-foot facility at 1701 Rumrill Blvd., near Market Ave. The one-story building will house additional warehousing and assembly space for the company’s custom commercial refrigeration units and will include 42 parking spaces, a rear loading dock, perimeter landscaping, and a trash enclosure.
In a candid testimony to the Planning Commission, Plant expressed dedication to remaining in the local community, to adding jobs and continuing to train and hire locally. He noted he’s been on Rumrill Boulevard “my entire life.”
“I love what I do,” he said, noting he’s almost 70 years old. “I’ll do it till the day I die, right there in that building.”
Plant says he trains his staff, about 90-percent of whom live in or around the area. He welcomed the idea of apprenticeship programs and partnerships with the San Pablo EDC.
The new property will allow the business to separate raw materials, manufacturing, and finished goods more efficiently, and Plant shared plans to expand production capabilities.
Council members praised Plant for his commitment to San Pablo. “You’ve been there as long as I’ve been in town—since the mid-90s,” one commissioner said. Another remarked, “It’s great to see your business grow here in the city.”
According to Rudy’s Registration website, William E. Plant purchased the business from original owner Rudy Ball. Williami came to Richmond to work in the shipyards during WWII, where he studied refrigeration and electrical engineering. In 1974, Ben joined his father.
Rudy’s products have reportedly been installed in California State projects (schools, prisons, hospitals, and shelters), and can be found at Air force bases, grocery stores, restaurants, florists, breweries, laboratories, and universities all over the U.S.
