Washington crossing the Delaware River.

While the USA turns 250, RQ turns 30.  If you consider RQ is 30 of America’s 250, that means RQ has existed for 12% of America’s entire history.  Pretty incredible.  RQ’s Pearl Anniversary gives us the opportunity to reflect on the ideals that gave birth to this company and all those that turned a mission and vision into reality.

In 1776, a group of visionaries gathered in Philadelphia and declared that all people are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those words ignited a revolution and inspired movements for freedom around the world. They established a bold experiment in self-government that has endured through triumphs, challenges, and profound change.

In 1996, a group of visionaries (mostly George, let’s be honest) gathered in North County San Diego.  Benefactors of the liberty America had afforded them, RQ’s founders worked long and hard, scraping along to make RQ more than just another construction company.  A commitment to people and their happiness through meaningful work that delivered better, faster, and cheaper was at RQ’s foundation.

Over the past two and a half centuries, America has grown from thirteen colonies along the Atlantic coast into a dynamic nation of more than 340 million people. It has pioneered breakthroughs in science and technology, expanded democratic participation, and helped shape the modern world.

Over the past three decades, RQ has grown from North County to designing and building structures in 11 states, a US territory, and on a base in another country.  RQ has grown from 2 employees to 1200 employees, including a large number of veterans we are so proud of among a very diverse group – diverse in every way.  We even have a contingent of Filipinos that are working in the middle of the night to be a part of RQ during the same time zone we’re designing and building in.  We went from a small family housing project to a Seals Team commercial job to entire campuses now.  RQ did something few had ever done in bringing design in-house, and now we have self-perform divers doing underwater welding.  Unbelievable.  What our vision means in growing our people, our markets, and our capabilities keeps finding greater applications as we refuse to stop growing. 

RQ has seen administrations and houses of congress come and go, both Democrats and Republicans. There have been mandates, regulations, and executive orders that presented significant challenges but also came and went. We have seen housing bubbles causing recessions, stimulus dollars printed, causing high inflation. We have seen fuel spikes, commodity spikes, labor shortages - you name it. In a firm fixed price environment, those were all very difficult, but we managed through it all. The hardships, changes, and swings all came and went, and then came and went again. RQ stood tall and grew through it all.

America's greatest achievements are found not only in its institutions and innovations but also in its people. Farmers, teachers, entrepreneurs, first responders, service members, artists, scientists, and countless others have contributed to the nation's progress. Their dedication, courage, and ingenuity built a society that continues to inspire hope and opportunity.

Every community, whether it be America as a community or RQ as a community, really comes down to its people. All the books say it. RQ believes it and can be reminded regularly. In every onboarding interview for decades the question has been asked, “Why do you work at RQ?” And nearly without exception the answer starts with: “I work here because of the people.” That is primary. The people of RQ… are RQ. Not buildings. Not standards. Not achievements or awards. Those things are just reflections of RQ. They are reflections of RQ’s people who build them and win them.

As we celebrate 250 years of independence, we also get to celebrate 30 years of RQ. We not only get to look forward to the future of the country with AI, space exploration, and whatever new thing will fit in our pocket or be embedded in our arms that are life changing. We also look forward to the future of RQ. What new ways will we find to grow our people, our markets, and our capabilities? We’ll get to meet and learn to use RQ-D2, RQ’s very own AI Assistant. We’ll get to know and love Learning and Development which will make professional growth more intentional and possible for every RQ employee. There will be new challenges. There will be difficulties that can’t be planned for. But RQ will stand and grow through it.

RQ's first project, an Operations Logistics Support facility at NAB Coronado.