Ever wonder why your order for however-many ounces of wire is always a little over or under what you ordered? The simple answer is: tolerances. Tolerances are developed to fit manufacturing capabilities and, while it is possible—even standard—to have tight (close) tolerances,[...]
Inside Rio: Machine Operators Read Product Reviews Too!

Recently our website underwent a complete makeover, and one of the coolest updates, in my opinion, are the product review tabs! As a member of the machine operator team, I make some of this stuff, which means that you, the customer, have a direct line to me, the operator. Your pr[...]
Inside Rio: 11 Techniques for Effective Feedback with Framing
Here at Rio, we’ve created an empowered workplace operating within a common set of principles. So we’ve got a challenging yet supportive environment sharing a common set of values, but what about the tools that make our culture work? Effective feedback is among our most usefu[...]
Inside Rio: Creating a Principled Business
The Principles are Rio Grande’s common value system; the basis for our everyday behavior and decision-making. By using the Principles as our footing, we make the right decision far more consistently. . .
Jump Rings and Coils, Oh My!

At the beginning of May I turned in my box cutter for a T-shaped Allen wrench. I said goodbye to the forklift and hello to the coiler, the hammered ear wire machine, and the eye-pin slider. Let me be plain: I transferred from the Receiving Team to the Machine Operator Team. . .[...]
Inside Rio: Empowerment at Rio Grande
Each individual at Rio must make his or her own choice to be empowered. What we can do is provide an environment that nurtures and supports empowered associates. And so, a number of ideas and sources coalesced into a list of four items critical to achieving empowerment. . .[...]
Rio Grande’s Wellness Program: Supporting Healthier Ways of Living!

At Rio, we started an adventure seven years ago to address the health and wellness of our associates and their families. It started as a program to reduce our rising medical insurance costs and, in the beginning, was a classic first attempt at a new program: It took some time to [...]
The History & Spirit of the Saul Bell Design Award Competition
My grandfather, Saul Bell, lived to be 96 years old and he came to work at Rio Grande every day until less than two weeks before he died. A few years after his passing, a group of associates at Rio Grande presented my family with a video documenting memories of Saul, from both as[...]
Resource Shifting: A Win/Win for Rio Grande and Customers!

Did you know that your order from Rio Grande may have been packed by a guy who works in our machine shop? Or that the tiny 2˝ x 2˝ bag that your findings came in might have been labeled by one of our very own business coaches? How about that guy on the YouTube videos—Mark Ne[...]
A Day in the Life of a Rio Tech Support Agent

Occasionally someone asks me, “What’s it like to work in Technical Support at Rio Grande?” Usually my answer is easily summed up by the big grin on my face. Being part of the Tech Support Team is really cool. The job may not be what what one thinks of as a typical tech supp[...]
Rio Steampunk and Metal Clay Artist, Jaimie Verlander
Shortly after I was first hired here at Rio, I experienced my first Rio Associate Arts and Crafts Fair. I was so excited to see what kind of jewelry my creative colleagues were making and selling and was amazed by the beautiful craftsmanship and uniqueness of it all. But, there w[...]
Inside Rio: A Different Way of Doing (the Jewelry) Business
I knew very little about Rio Grande when I was hired a little over ten years ago. I learned quite a bit as I went through the interview process, but I wasn’t prepared for the reality of actually working at Rio. It has completely altered my ideas of what it means to lead and how[...]