Quite a few years ago, two young men, Rick and Dan, met as students and fraternity brothers at Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Virginia. They became fast friends and decided to join forces and take a long walk and adventure on the Appalachian Trail during one of their spring breaks. They were able to convince a third friend to join them and they were on a hike of a lifetime. The friendship between these two men was cemented forever on the trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains, high above the Shenandoah Valley.
That friendship remained strong for a lifetime. When the young men returned to Lexington, Rick asked Dan if he could build a backgammon table for him. This was a long time before the internet and video games, and backgammon was very popular with the students. Dan was working at the University workshop building sets for the theatre and together the fraternity brothers built a backgammon board that is still in use today.
That experienced ignited a family passion in Rick to build and after college he began building Adirondack Chairs, while maintaining a full-time bank job. Subsequently, Dan pursued a career in Dallas, Texas in the apartment industry. Rick continued to build and after a few starts and stops he committed himself full-time to a company he named Built To Last. The product started as wood and evolved into the recycled plastic that is used today. Eventually Rick outgrew his Richmond production shop (his garage) and moved the business to Moyock, North Carolina where everyone on the way to the Outer Banks would see the product. The business was vibrant and Rick and his wife Laura both dedicated themselves to a company that made a truly great American product.
The good friend’s path crossed again when Dan started to build apartment developments in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. All of the apartment developments featured Built To Last products. One development featured a rooftop garden which required some special features. When Dan called Rick to discuss the order, he learned that Rick and his wife Laura were moving to Florida and thinking about the next phase of their lives. A conversation ensued and a deal was made.
On September 13, 2019, Dan and his partners purchased the Built To Last operation with a pledge to Rick and Laura to always honor their incredible quality and tradition of making the finest products in the market. With new capital and the full support of Rick and Laura, Dan and his partners began to position the firm for the future and for future growth. Today Built To Last is a firm committed to its traditions of producing a quality product that has no peers. The products are 100% recycled plastic and 100% American made. This is a story born in the Virginia mountains, and the story of two men who had the same vision and passion to always build the best.
Please stop by and take a tour of our facilities. We are adding new colors to our line to offer our loyal customers more options. We are embracing technology to insure our quality is unparalleled while still being assembled by hand. Everyone at the firm is committed to being worthy of our name, Built To Last.
Built To Last is proud to guarantee you 100% satisfaction. We are 100% American made and use 100% recycled plastics. We would love to add you to our growing list of happy customers.
