High-end tripod and camera support company Really Right Stuff is moving their headquarters and manufacturing operations. They also have big plans coming up for the future.
In a press release, Really Right Stuff announced that the company would be moving from their current location in San Luis Obispo, California and settling down in Lehi, Utah. “We love beautiful San Luis Obispo, but our employees can’t afford to buy a home,” said CEO Joseph M. Johnson, Sr. “The business-friendly environment and low cost of living in Lehi, Utah made it a clear choice for us to best serve our customers and employees long-term.” He also said that most of their current employees would be moving to the new city as well, “keeping our RRS family largely intact.”
Besides the lower cost of living, the new building is also two-and-a-half times larger and will offer the company new product opportunities with a larger workforce. “The move comes with expansion on every level,” I was told by Assistant Product Manager Nathanael Brookshire, “More machines, more people, and more gear.”
At one time, the only way to purchase Really Right Stuff gear was through their website. However, a little over a year ago they had grown to the point where they could stock B&H Photo with their products as well.
Brookshire also mentioned that the company would be “significantly expanding” their manufacturing capability and will have the Utah location in operation before completely shutting down the California facilities. In turn, this should mean minimal interruption to customers.
Photo by Pixabay via Pexels.
https://phys.org/news/2017-06-california-state-worst-air-quality.html :-\
Apparently though, the Owens Valley is finally being cleaned up, after a long history of having the worst air quality in the country:
http://digital.library.ucla.edu/aqueduct/owens-valley-environmental-hazard
Brigham, based on your first name I'm going to take the liberty of guessing that you were born LDS in Utah. Thank you for adding your insight. And, cultural / religious issues aside, the issue about air quality and water supply is also extremely important for is to be paying more attention to as human beings.
However California is in a similarly rough situation with respect to water, and air quality too depending on where you live. It also has its fair share of exclusion or coldness towards outsiders.
I'm not sure if you still live in Utah, or moved elsewhere, or maybe you're in CA, but in my opinion it's just not that much better here. Literally the only thing CA has going for itself right now is great weather, and money for the pockets of the wealthiest upper-crust.
They aren't the only ones getting out of California. Folks are leaving here in droves over the housing crisis. I've lived here all my life, and am getting ready to head out soon myself. We live in a small, "rent controlled" building in Los Angeles where the conditions are bad enough to be considered slum adjacent; but we get what we pay for. One-bedroom apartment rents have shot up several hundred dollars in my area over the course of about a year-and-a-half. With $1600-1700 / month, you'd be lucky to get 750 sq ft. of space, off-street parking, and a laundry facility.
The state legislature passed a set of measures last year in favor of more affordable housing, unfortunately they waited until this was a real issue to act. We passed similar measures at the local level last year, but the problem is already out of control.
Man their stuff is expensive, maybe they can lower their prices since their overhead will shrink?
They are expensive until you factor in their quality. It's not for everyone.
Considering their products are made in the USA, and they hopefully pay their employees as much as they possibly can, I don't expect RRS prices to drop. Nor should they, considering they're the best products on the market. I can't afford most of them, but I still love the BH-25 & BH-30, and consider them worth every penny.
Maybe if you move from California to Utah you'll be able to afford many more! ;-)
Oh, don't think I haven't dreamed about that.
But I read somewhere recently ;-) that Utahans wouldn't accept you. :-)
Nashville seems to be another place Californians are moving to. The influx of people, from all over, into Nashville is driving up the price of real estate to insane levels. My brother was out in Simi Valley for a new job paying close to 2000 bones for what he called a ghetto apartment. He couldn't wait to get out. Left for NC.
Nashville and Auston, TX are the two big "trendy" destinations of late.
California is moving EVERYWHERE. Just ask Oregon. ;-)
Well this comment thread went off the rails
Political element + Internet. You can't possibly have expected anything else.
I read because it's my state, but yah, it became a mess pretty quick, but should've been expected.
Hate to say it, Lee, but some of the most innocuous articles on here end up with "off the rails" comment sections. It's starting to ruin the experience of participating on this site.
You should have seen th comment section a couple years ago when it was open to the anonymous public. WAY worse.
Oooph! Good thing I didn't then. :) I still love the articles on here. I just need to stop reading the comments sometimes. ;-)