Ritchie & Sons History

Following Ralph E. Ritchie’s service in the Navy during World War II, he returned home to his wife, Betty, with a child on the way.

He worked at Coca-Cola packing bottles into six-packs, then moved on to a leather-sorting job for a major tanning company in Peabody, Massachusetts. Unsatisfied with these roles, Ralph applied for a sales position with City Service, a distributor of waxes and oils. There, he found his calling—sales.

In 1960, Ralph answered an ad from Engel Industries, a manufacturer of HVAC equipment, seeking a Northeast sales distributor. He invested his entire savings—$10,000—for showroom equipment and founded Ralph E. Ritchie, Co., renting space in South Lynnfield, Massachusetts, and hitting the road across New England to generate orders.

Early sales were difficult. At the time, most ductwork was made by hand, and shop owners feared automation would replace jobs. After months of rejection, Ralph met Charlie Touchette of Cox Engineering—the only company then using automated duct equipment. Watching Charlie operate the Engel Shopmaster, Ralph immediately saw how to sell it: he challenged shop owners to compare production speed, guaranteeing Engel would cut job time in half. Saturday demos followed, then Ralph produced a film so compelling Engel adopted it nationally. That pivotal meeting with Charlie launched Ralph’s lifelong career.

By 1975, Ralph’s sons—Ralph Jr., Bob, and Don Sr.—had joined the business.

Today, more than 60 years later, partners Don Ritchie Sr., Brian Ritchie, and Jon Way are joined by Ralph’s grandson Donald Ritchie Jr., salesman Nick Way, and a loyal team of office and service professionals who have helped shape the Ritchie & Sons legacy.