YOUR VISION. OUR SOLUTION. CREATING A BETTER TOMORROW!
By Bradley Wright
It’s August 7, 1985, Riverside, California; Rubidoux to be exact and around 96 degrees. A 15-year-old boy sits strumming his guitar over, over and over in an uninsulated garage.
He listens to his favorite rock and roll and attacks the guitar; he doesn’t know how to play. And although he has never had a guitar lesson, he truly believes he is special and is destined to be a superstar. His profuse sweating is only matched by his determination, spiced with a dash of anger. He strums and ponders the government issued grilled cheese sandwich he is about to eat on his break. He’ll attack that grilled cheese sandwich just like he does the guitar. This boy does nothing without intensity. A couple years later he’ll drop out of high school.
August 7th, 1988, a young man and his friend drive from Rubidoux, California to answer a PennySaver ad to install some type of siding for $2.50 an hour. Somewhere along the Ramona Express they get off in Hemet and hit a stoplight. Big yellow clouds begin to storm the sky. They are in shock when they realize its butterflies; the most beautiful creation these two young men had ever witnessed or encountered at this point in their lives.
Abruptly, an older, gruffly, looking man in the car next to them yells, “Is this not an awesome site?” The two young men concur. The man then asked them what they were doing in Hemet. They explained the PennySaver gig. Mr. Gruffly asked, “You boys want to work for $4 an hour and help me with some electrical work?”
Jump forward twenty years later to Gucci Guilty Electric Company in San Diego, California; (the name has been changed to protect the guilty). The company’s top salesperson, Bryant, is summoned to the CEO’s office. He actually skips down the hallway with anticipation of the $100,000 bonus his sale numbers have earned him. As he enters the CEOs office, he gets a hitch in his gait. More company than expected. CEO, Vice President and Sales Manager? The Sales Manager and VP proceed to try and tell their superstar salesman there has been a misunderstanding or miscommunication regarding his bonuses for sales performance.
Red-faced, and with rage in his blue, piercing eyes, this young man (who was growing up fast), ignores everything the Sales Manager and VP are saying, and laser beams the CEO’s eyes with his own stating, “You know exactly what we agreed to, but you did not believe I would ever possibly hit those bonus projections and numbers. The only understanding or communication you and I need today is for you to give me my freaking bonus!”
The owner starts to posture and says, “Well Bryant, here’s the deal….” Before the word “deal” was completed, the company keys, ID and anything else associated with Gucci Guilty Electric was midair landing on the big boss’s desk.
He points to the Sales Manager and says, “Forget you,” points to the VP and says, “Forget you” and points to the big boss and says, “and most of all forget you!” Bryant does an about-face; his strut and gait are back, of course with more intensity.
The boss man retaliates with, “If you really want to make that kind of money young man, start your own business.” Bryant, without missing a step in his gait, and showing no remorse or any indication of looking back barks, “Good idea, Coach!”
August 7th, 2008 — meet DANA ELECTRIC, INC. This time its August 7th on purpose. Bryant is giddy. Following his past employer’s advice, Bryant Edward Rugg launches Dana Electric, Inc. and strategically locates in San Clemente, California. Halfway between the San Diego and Los Angeles markets; Vegas is close and Hawaii is the dream.
The first step this guy took in life was when he hit the ground, ready to rock and roll. His business and management styles are a cross between Mick Jagger and Bruce Springsteen on the rock and roll side; Bryant is probably like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors on the business side. In the social and community atmosphere, Bryant is a big teddy bear when it comes to helping someone in need or supporting his community.
Bryant was raised in the height of 70s social crossfire and never forgot where he came from. In the late 60s, 70s and 80s, Rubidoux/Riverside and the Inland Empire, as a whole, was one of the ultimate social crossfire zones in America. At the time, down the freeway you had San Bernardino, cruising “E” Street, Johnson Hall, Delmann Heights and Muscoy, but Rubidoux, Bloomington and places like Casa Blanca in Riverside were no joke. These are the roots of Bryant Rugg.
The rest is history, the company’s net worth is now estimated between $15 and $20 million, and the Ruggs maintain a lifestyle focused on family and community, splitting time between San Clemente and Hawaii. Dana Electric, Inc. donates heavily to the community; specifically concentrating on education. His kids all attended public school when J. Serra or Mater Dei were easy options.
Socialization is extremely important to the Ruggs, and when the kids and parents took higher education options under consideration, they wanted to play for the home team. The Ruggs bought into the ONE-TOWN, ONE-TEAM concept. The whole family valued the 97% graduation rate for Capistrano Unified School District, so San Clemente High School it was for Jessica Rugg (who was a four-year cheerleader at San Clemente High School) and the other little Ruggs!
Bryant Rugg loves big trucks, fast cars and fast boats. Some people say the Rubidoux coaches did not like Bryant and, “Bryant came from the wrong side of the tracks.” He welcomes this and sometimes rev’s that engine just a little bit more when passing by particular driveways. Bryant simply earned everything he ever achieved; there was no daddy there to lend a hand or a loan.
Bryant has both attitude and altitude and his attitude is, “It’s not where you start, it’s where you end up.” He was going for altitude growing up. It didn’t matter if it was on a crane or the socioeconomic ladder, altitude was his gig, and he was going up. Bryant brought a team of his Rubidoux childhood friends with him on the climb and he is as loyal as a puppy dog to his team, however, when you’re in the Dana Electric, Inc. office or on a construction site with the crew, there is no doubt who the quarterback is.
Oh, and by the way, in the late 1970s, early 80s, Bryant lead a very successful band, STML, opening for such acts as LA Guns and Fandango. Bryant has still never entertained a lesson. The band teacher said he was TOO INTENSE!
927 Calle Negocio Suite J & K
San Clemente, California
(949) 388-0862
www.dana-electric.com
