Rasco Industries CEO wins IDA Industry Member Service Award

Late last month, at the IDAExpo International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, Rasco Industries CEO Rosy Brown received the International Door Association’s coveted Industry Member Service Award.

Each year, the Industry Member Service Award honors an industry and Association member for excellence in business, for significant contribution to the IDA, for overall industry and product innovations, and for displaying exceptional traits of honesty, integrity, and quality. Brown is the first woman to win the award in the traditionally male-dominated field of door manufacturing.

Brown’s company, Rasco Industries, Inc., is based in Mound, Minnesota, utilizing 40,000 square feet of production space at the former Tonka Truck factory on the northwest corner of Lake Minnetonka. “It’s our wonderful customer service and the team of true craftsmen that have made the company great,” said Brown.

Rasco Industries, Inc., was founded by father and son Dick and Rick Brown in 1992. The duo originated the idea of stainless steel mesh screen doors for factories, manufacturing plants, and other industrial facilities. Their invention added screen doors to traditional loading dock doors, keeping bugs and other pests out while letting fresh air in. Rasco enjoyed modest growth as industry slowly began showing interest in their products.

Sadly, in 2009, Rick Brown passed away suddenly while his father was dealing with health issues of his own. Rather than selling the company or turning it over to other leadership, Rosy, Rick’s young widow, took over Rasco herself. Dick and Rick’s dream of growing the company became her dream, as well.

Over the past seven years, Ms. Brown has been able to grow sales by advertising, streamlining operations, modernizing the factory processes, and responding to industry needs by adding more security door products to the Rasco line.

By focusing the company’s R&D on complying with new government regulations for safety and homeland security, Brown and Rasco Industries have served such diverse companies as Pillsbury, Budweiser, Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy, as well as various government locations, all of which have benefited from Rasco’s high security doors.