Creating Environments People Enjoy
RRM’s mission is Creating Environments People Enjoy®. Our work and our culture embody sustainability, collaboration, innovation and respect. Our firm’s unique structure also serves as a foundation for the energy and inspiration that drive our team: we bring 200 architects, engineers, landscape architects, planners, and surveyors together under one roof to take on projects across the west coast from idea through implementation. The result is genuine, cutting-edge, and timeless designs which aim to leave a lasting and positive imprint on those who experience them.
Our Leadership
Our History
Mission & Vision
Multidisciplinary Approach
100% Employee-Owned
Our Leadership: Meet Our Managing Partners & Principals
We promote and encourage employees who have shown special leadership qualities in their discipline and firmwide. We provide leadership development through education regarding RRM’s business philosophy, metrics, tools, and other training. We focus on educating and training of our next echelon of leaders to ensure our firm’s longevity beyond the current leadership.
Meet RRM’s Leadership
Our Journey to 50 Years
Our story starts with three Cal Poly architecture students and a shared passion for design. Over the decades, that vision grew into a multidisciplinary firm built on collaboration and creativity. Today, we’re proud to be 100% employee-owned, shaping environments people enjoy across the West Coast.
The Beginning of It All
1974
The story of RRM began in the early 1970s, when Bob Richmond, Rob Rossi, and Vic Montgomery met as Cal Poly Architecture classmates. In 1974, Bob and Rob co-founded what would become RRM, along with Tom Priest and Ken Wolfe, under the original name Priest Wolfe Richmond Rossi. Vic joined two years later, and Priest and Wolfe moved on, so the name RRM – short for Richmond, Rossi, and Montgomery – was born.
Read more on RRM's early days here.
Creating Environments People Enjoy
1985
In 1985, RRM changed its name to RRM Design Group, and created its Mission Statement: Creating Environments People Enjoy®. Landscape Architecture services were added in 1988.
RRM Expands Services and Locations
1995 - 2011
In 1995 RRM added Civil Engineering and Survey services when they acquired Tierra Engineering. In 1996 the Modesto office was moved to Oakdale. To accommodate expanding growth, additional branch offices were opened in Northern California and San Juan Capistrano to cover Southern California.
In 2011 RRM acquired the firm LGA and in 2013, RRM acquired the firm PGA. These firms grew our architecture practice with an increased focus on affordable and specialty housing; we also grew to Santa Barbara though the PGA acquisition.
RRM Becomes Employee-Owned
2018
RRM opened its San Leandro office and added structural engineering services in 2015. Three years later, RRM completed its ambitious transition to a 100% employee-owned company. Since that monumental event in 2018, each and every employee now has a direct stake in the success and direction of our firm.
Celebrating 50 Years in Business
2024
Since becoming employee-owned, RRM has opened up offices in Ventura (through a merger with Mainstreet Architects and Planners), San Diego & Seattle, totaling to seven offices across the West Coast. Offering expertise in six core disciplines — Architecture, Planning & Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Surveying — RRM stands as a dynamic multidisciplinary firm. Other notable achievements include the establishment of an Environmental Stewardship Committee and an Inclusive Excellence Committee. These initiatives play pivotal roles in shaping both the environments we design and the culture within our firm.
Our Core Values
We respect and value everyone. We take great care of our clients. We share ideas, information, and knowledge freely, quickly, and candidly. We work together. We champion inclusion. We are stewards of the environment. We do what is right – always. We are curious. We are passionate about design. We give back.
What Multidisciplinary Means at RRM?
Here at RRM, we leverage our in-house multidisciplinary team to seamlessly guide projects from concept to completion. By integrating architecture, planning & urban design, landscape architecture, civil engineering, structural engineering, and surveying all under one roof, RRM ensures cohesive collaboration and a streamlined process. This comprehensive approach enables our project team to address needs from all facets, resulting in innovative, sustainable solutions that meet your needs while enhancing communities. From initial visioning to final delivery, RRM’s team works together to achieve outstanding outcomes on every project.
100% Employee-Owned: Our ESOP Structure
The RRM ESOP is a Trust created for the benefit of the employee members. The Plan acts as a retirement vehicle, but one that is no cost to our employees; all contributions are made by RRM once you work 1,000 hours per year. As an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) corporation, all RRM staff have an ownership interest in the company, building long-term financial security while ensuring the company’s success directly benefits its people.
Ownership at RRM is more than an employee benefit — it shapes how we work. Employee ownership fosters collaboration, shared goals, and a drive to grow in ways that reflect our values: delivering sustainable, socially beneficial projects, giving back to our communities, and supporting one another. Our ESOP culture encourages every team member to share ideas and help shape the firm’s future.
What are the advantages of an ESOP?
An Employee Stock Ownership Plan offers more than just a retirement benefit – it’s a powerful way to build wealth, ensure long-term stability, and strengthen company culture.
- Financial Wellbeing: Under an ESOP, employees receive company stock in their accounts. As the business grows, both the number of shares and their value can increase. When employees retire or leave, their shares are converted to cash and rolled into a qualified retirement plan.
- Long-Term Stability: ESOPs provide a smooth transition of ownership, ensuring the company continues to thrive well beyond its original founders. At RRM, this structure has supported our success for decades and positions us for many more.
- Ownership Culture: Because every employee is an owner, there’s a shared commitment to efficiency, innovation, and excellence. Our team collaborates openly, values creativity, and works together to raise the bar for our clients and communities.
Owners Open Forum
Part shark tank, part city council meeting, and part soapbox, the Owner’s Open Forum – or OOF as we call it – is a platform where employee-owners can bring forward ideas directly to the company’s Board of Directors for discussion. It’s a space where innovation, collaboration, and shared ownership come to life.
Since its inception, the OOF has received more than 35 submissions, with nearly 70% of them implemented. Many of these ideas have required extensive discussion and consultation to ensure they could be put into action – and the results have been well worth the effort.
Examples of implemented ideas include:
-
Floating Holiday: Offering employees the flexibility to select an additional paid day off each year – whether that’s an additional holiday or their birthday.
-
Draws for a Cause: Organizing volunteer opportunities where employee-owners use their professional design skills to support non-profit organizations and give back to the community. Learn more about this program here!
-
Guaranteed Ride Home: Providing reimbursement for emergency transportation for those who commute by alternative means, ensuring peace of mind for sustainable commuters.
- ESOP Participation Hours: The number of hours to qualify for the ESOP can be reduced if you take a qualifying leave such as a parental leave.
The OOF is just one of the ways our employee-owners shape the future of our company, our culture, and our community impact.
