Today we’d like to introduce you to Ritchey Robin.
Ritchey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
A native of Sunset, Louisiana, and my dream of being an entrepreneur started early. I have always enjoyed welding, fabrication, and design. As a high school student, I focused a lot of time on becoming a skilled welder and fabricator. I spent 4 years in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. I designed and manufactured my first barbeque pit at the young age of 14.
After graduating from high school, I joined the Army Reserves. While in the Reserves, I attended and graduated from Fort Leonardwood, Missouri Engineering School. I later completed my Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. While pursuing various careers and designing barbeque pits, I quickly realized that my only true passion was in barbeque pit design and manufacturing. In 1996, with much thought and planning, I decided to open my own custom pit shop entitled GATOR PIT. Staying true to my native State of Louisiana (alligators are known to live) and because one of my most unique and popular pit designs attach on the back of trucks for TAIL-GATING barbeque, is how the name was originated.
I cannot express how much I enjoy the art of barbecue pit design. Because of my great passion in what I do, I pride myself in knowing that my GATOR PIT BBQ PITS are the best on the market and offer features you will not find anywhere else but GATOR PIT. I personally assist all customers in custom designing pits that will best fit their barbeque needs. Just check out our testimonials page and you see what our customers all over the world say about GATOR PIT. GATOR PIT offers custom pits at affordable prices. Just compare and see for yourself. I know no one offers the quality and features of a GATOR PIT grill or smoker for the price.
Being a Custom Pit Designer and Manufacturer, I offer great custom-made pits at truly affordable prices and that is something that no one can argue. Just shop around and compare. I look at the competition everyday and I know no one offers the quality and features of a GATOR PIT BBQ PIT for the price. The design and quality of my pits have been recognized by newspapers, magazines, television, and numerous BBQ websites worldwide. I have been interviewed and articles published by Texas Monthly Magazine and many other BBQ related newspapers, magazines, and websites such as The Houston Chronicle, National Barbecue News, Full Throttle Magazine, and many others. Gator Pit was voted Top Ten “Coolest BBQ Pits” in the United States and abroad. Gator Pit was interviewed and aired on television by Food TV. Browse the World Wide Web and see what people are saying about Gator Pit. Gator Pit has been called the Jessie James and Orange County Choppers of BBQ Pits. Truly custom and quality you will not get anywhere else for the price.
I have also created a Gator Pit BBQ Forum dedicated to Gator Pit owners around the world and is available for FREE to anyone, whether a Gator owner or not. Want to ask Gator owners what they think about their personal Gator, cooking tips, upcoming competitions, etc., this is the place to go. You have the opportunity to ask what you want. You can communicate publicly or privately. That is how confident I am in customer satisfaction. Click here to go to the Gator Pit Forum.
Customer Service is very important to me. Feel free to contact me anytime or come by my facility. I do not want my Gator Pit customers to get my pit and have questions about how to use, what to cook with, etc. For this reason, I encourage all of you to contact us at Gator Pit and inquire about our pits and get the information you really need to know in determining a pit to fit and meet your wants and needs. I look forward to hearing from you.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting and managing a small business is never a smooth road. You are always jumping hurdles in a day to day business. Every day is a challenge. Learning what it takes to start a business, hiring and managing employees, managing sales and production, keeping current on local/state/federal tax laws, environmental laws pertaining to manufacturing, and managing daily finances. And, many other liabilities associated with owning and managing a business. I look at business as a game.
Baseball for example. You are going to get thrown a curve ball ever so often. You have to learn to expect and hit the curveball when it happens. If you can’t or don’t, you will not win the game. You will strike out. I believe that is what separates the failed small businesses and those that are successful. You can’t expect money to just start rolling in because you opened your doors for business. You have to find your client base and figure out what drives them to you and concentrate on that. And, it takes time before you actually see your business thriving. One has to have patience and be willing to go the long haul to be successful.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Gator Pit – what should we know?
I am in a niche industry. We design and fabricate custom cookers from grills, smokers, fryers and more. Products so custom, that you can’t buy at any retail store or outlet. They are as unique as our clients. We are known for our unique custom cookers and more so for the handcrafted quality of our products, as all are made one at a time to order and made by hand with very little machinery aside from hand tools. That makes our manufacturing unique and that is how we maintain our quality of the product. Every custom Gator Pit cooker that rolls out of our production shop is different from the one before it. No two are alike. The ability for our customers to meet with us, tell us what they want in their cooker or cooking equipment, and we design and build it to fit their wants and needs. That uniqueness and handcrafted quality is what sets us apart from all others.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My wife, Melissa Robin. And, my family as a whole. Everyone thought I was crazy to start a BBQ Pit manufacturing business and actually be able to make a living doing it. But, Melissa was always supportive in my endeavors and always backed me 100%. Even in the hardest of times, she was there by my side pushing me to keep stepping forward. My family has always been behind me and at my side supporting me any and every way they could. I want to give credit to my high school’s Future Farmer’s of American (FFA) program. There, I learned welding and steel fabrication. Credits to the Army and Louisiana Army National Guard, where I attended Engineering school and learned general construction and supervisory skills. And, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree. All combined gave and taught me knowledge, skills, etc. to “hopefully,” be successful in the business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11161 West Little York Road
- Website: www.gatorpit.net
- Phone: 713-896-0144
- Email: info@gatorpit.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gatorpitbbqpits/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gator-Pit-of-Texas-LP-147874757214/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gatorpitoftexas
Image Credit:
Kirk Draut
Draut Productions
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