Ruco

Team RUCO’s roster is loaded with five-star talent, but every now and then we discover a freak athlete hiding in plain sight. Case in point: one of RUCO’s longest-tenured employees and one of the many friendly voices you’ve undoubtedly spoken with when placing an order, or during the exceedingly rare occasion when someone actually calls with a complaint, Customer Service Rep Cary “Lightning” Thompson.

Before Cary was helping customers track down their mud orders, he was making a name for himself on the football field and track. In 1970, he was a three-year varsity starting running back and All-State hurdler at Forest Park High School just outside Atlanta. Cary had serious wheels, with Barry Sanders elusiveness and Cam Skattebo’s refusal to go down. The result? A full scholarship to Georgia Tech and a game-winning touchdown against Georgia as a freshman. THWG. Unfortunately, multiple torn knee ligaments brought Cary’s playing career to an early end, but he stayed on as a loyal teammate through graduation, helping wherever he could. This 1970 photo is a glimpse of the athlete who might have been headed for Sundays in the NFL... Until RUCO came calling.

Cary, thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do for RUCO. We’re selfishly pretty fortunate to have you on our roster today, and while we’ll never know exactly what might have happened if that knee had held up, we’re pretty confident Cary would have made one hell of an NFL player.

Team RUCO’s golf team would like to congratulate Team USA on an incredible Sunday at Medinah and a historic Presidents Cup victory.

After our impressive performance at the Roswell Drywall outing, we were convinced a late captain’s pick from Brandt Snedeker was imminent. Unfortunately, the phone never rang, our clubs stayed in the trunk, and we were forced to cheer Team USA on from the couch. Tough break for Team USA but what a Sunday. Trailing for the first time heading into the final day, the Americans produced the most lopsided final-day singles performance in Presidents Cup history, securing 9½ of 12 possible points by winning nine matches and halving three. Naturally, even the most interesting man in drywall, Red Cain made it a point to be in attendance to help present the trophy. When the biggest stage in golf needs a little extra star power, you know who they call. Looking ahead to the 2027 Ryder Cup, if Captain Jim Furyk needs any alternates for Adare Manor in Limerick, you know where to find us.

From one group of professionals to another… well played, Team USA!

Please join us in congratulating Ahmed Bana as RUCO welcomes another valued member to our exclusive 25-Year Club.

Ahmed started his RUCO career in production and quickly became the guy you wanted on the line when you needed to know how things were supposed to be done. After some convincing, he stepped into a Team Lead role and eventually became Production Supervisor. His work ethic is unmatched, his knowledge runs deep, and his commitment to RUCO is evident every day. That commitment has even carried over to his family, with two of his sons working at RUCO during the summers and part-time while in school. They’ve become valued members of the team and a great reflection of Ahmed as both a leader and a father.

Ahmed is also known for his generosity. Most days, he shows up with enough food to feed half the plant and is always happy to share. His famous tea, however, is strictly for experienced personnel only. Word around the plant is that Ahmed’s tea is essentially the same formula the Navy SEALs use when they need to stay awake for three days straight. We haven’t confirmed that with the Department of Defense, but we’re pretty sure the recipe is classified for a reason.

Congratulations, Ahmed on 25 incredible years with RUCO. Welcome to the club!

Summer in Central Florida is hot. Mario’s finishing tips are hotter.

Our field reps don’t just talk about RUCO products; they put them to work. From jobsites to distributor yards to customer demo days, they show up, get their hands dirty, and show the pros exactly what RUCO can do. Mario has been finishing drywall his entire life, so when he starts talking technique, you might want to take notes. Last week, he was all over Central Florida spreading the Level 5 gospel, putting RUCO’s premium finishing solutions to work, talking Miami football, and unveiling a few of his gadget plays for third-and-long. And one thing Mario takes very seriously: nobody leaves a demo empty-handed. Every customer walked away with a little RUCO swag to commemorate the life-changing experience.

That’s what our field reps do. They show up, get their hands dirty, share what they know, and then let RUCO’s products make the case.

Some call it a golf outing. We call it one of the most anticipated events on the drywall calendar. The annual Roswell Drywall Golf Outing returned to Atlanta Country Club this week, and as always, the industry showed up ready to compete.

Contractors, distributors, customers, manufacturers, LIV Golf dropouts, and PGA holdovers desperately trying to secure a few extra points for a Presidents Cup spot were all in attendance. As an annual sponsor, Team RUCO showed up with the A-team. With so much on the line, there was simply no room for load management. The course was immaculate, the heat advisory was real, and somehow, we gutted out the elements, couldn’t miss anything inside 14 feet, and finished 3rd overall. Naturally, we had to inform U.S. Captain Brandt Snedeker that, should he call for an emergency captain’s pick at Medinah, we’d unfortunately be unavailable. Sales meeting next week. Priorities. As for Hole 16… one more foot on that near hole-in-one and we’d be cruising around in a brand-new BMW 7 Series company vehicle. Instead, we drove home in what we showed up in. Next time.

Days like this are what great partnerships are all about. Thanks, as always, to Roswell Drywall for the invite, the opportunity to sponsor and another great day with customers, partners and friends of RUCO.

Please join us in welcoming Josh Thurmond to the RUCO roster as our new Strategic Accounts Manager!

Josh brings 14 years of sales experience in the drywall and construction industry, with a career that has taken him all over the country. Originally from Georgia and a proud UGA graduate, Josh has made stops in Colorado and Idaho along the way. Now, Josh and his family are settling in Greenville, SC and he couldn't be happier that the Waffle House All-Star Special is officially back in his life. Priorities matter.

In his new role, Josh will focus on developing, managing and growing RUCO’s most important strategic customer relationships, while building corporate-level partnerships, identifying business development and product/category opportunities, supporting strategic planning, and working closely with our Sales Manager and outside sales team. When he’s not conquering the drywall world, Josh enjoys golf, running, quail hunting, and doing his best to keep his two- and four-year-old boys out of the emergency room and off the injured reserve list.

Welcome to Team RUCO, Josh! We’re excited to have you on board and happy to add another sandbagging 15-handicap to the RUCO golf depth chart.

25 Years Later. We Will Never Forget.

Today, we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, honor the heroes who ran toward danger, and recognize the courage, resilience, and unity that carried us forward.

We remember. We honor. We will never forget.

It’s time to set the lineup...

Introducing the RUCO Spray Rig Depth Chart; different rigs, different capabilities, one professional finish. Which one are you calling up?

RUCO EQUALIZER PLUS: Designed as our premium Level 5 primer-surfacer, pictured with the Titan 12000 Plus - a 3.15 GPM gas-powered hydraulic airless sprayer built for high-production volume. Capable of spraying Equalizer, Equalizer Plus and paint. Run 2 guns with 150' x 3/8" hoses or 1 gun up to 200'.

RUCO CONCRETE SURFACER: Designed for leveling interior concrete surfaces, pictured with the Titan 6900DI - a 2.25 GPM gas / 1.25 GPM electric hydraulic airless sprayer built for larger-volume applications. Capable of spraying non-aggregated drywall compounds, texture, Equalizer, Equalizer Plus and paint. Texture requires an atomizer and 7 CFM minimum air compressor.

RUCO EQUALIZER: Designed as a high-build drywall primer, pictured with the Titan 1040T - a 1.1 GPM airless sprayer and Titan’s smallest unit for non-aggregated drywall compounds and texture. Also capable of spraying Equalizer, Equalizer Plus and paint. Maximum hose: 100' x 3/8".

Know your rig. Know your RUCO. Go to work.

By order of the football gods, all Saturday plans are hereby canceled until further notice. Time for smoky tailgates, packed stadiums, questionable officiating, and grown men pacing the living room while repeatedly muttering, “big third down right here…”

Of course, whenever there’s a season premier everyone will be watching, you can bet the most interesting man in drywall, Red Cain, already has the swamp boat dry docked in Baton Rouge, claimed his reserved seat at Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne’s tailgate, put away six pounds of crawfish at Willie’s, and been given a hero’s welcome onto the Gameday set as the first celebrity guest picker of the season.

As a former five-star All-American long snapper, two-time Heisman finalist, former Chief of Staff for Charlie Baker, and undefeated champion of tailgate golf with Pat McAfee, Red has never actually missed College Gameday. He simply occasionally allows them to proceed without him. While signing autographs, posing for pictures and reluctantly entertaining questions about his highly coveted betting favorites, Red admitted he’s impressed by Ohio State’s generously financed roster but has a sneaky feeling this might finally be the year Texas gets it done. On the Heisman front, Red, who regularly joins the ManningCast, likes Arch Manning’s chances to finally bring the trophy home to the royal family of football.

As for this week’s opener, Red likes Lane Kiffin to come out swinging, LSU to make an early statement, and the Tigers to easily cover the 9.5. His exact words: “Easy money.” At this point we know Red doesn’t make predictions. He simply gives the future a heads-up.

Who remembers our All-Purpose Camo Buckets?

They were originally designed to remain invisible to deer, kick off hunting season, and become the rugged alternative to a traditional shopping basket for husbands who were informed that, yes, they’re going apple picking. They may be retired, but at this point, the Camo Bucket is less of a product and more of a collector’s item. Somewhere out there, someone is sitting on three of them and calling it a retirement plan.

Just another day at RUCO... Making premium drywall finishing products and casually raising the standard.

So the question is: should we bring the Camo Buckets back?