As part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, we had the distinct honor of welcoming all three of RRM Design Group’s founders – Bob Richmond, Rob Rossi, and Victor Montgomery – back to our San Luis Obispo headquarters for a very special live-streamed interview. Team members across our offices had a rare and inspiring opportunity to hear directly from the individuals who laid the foundation for the firm we know and love today. 

The story of RRM began in the early 1970s, when Bob, Rob, and Vic were classmates in a Cal Poly Architecture studio. Their shared passion for design quickly evolved into something bigger. 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. Two years later, Vic joined the firm after working for the City of San Luis Obispo. As Priest and Wolfe moved on, the name RRM – short for Richmond, Rossi, and Montgomery – was officially born. 

The Early Days: 

During the interview, each founder reflected on the firm’s humble beginnings and the mix of energy, grit, and passion that propelled them forward. The early years were difficult, and the founders candidly discussed how the firm’s survival was often uncertain. Limited resources meant the firm was often living paycheck to paycheck, unsure if they would make it through another month. 

Several anecdotes from those early days stood out—from using a $30,000 wedding gift to cover payroll to asking parents for a loan—twice! As Rob shared: “We didn’t know cash flow. We did really good at bringing in the jobs, then spending the money, and realizing we didn’t have the money.” 

Despite the early financial struggles, the founders’ drive and commitment to their craft helped steer them in the right direction. 

An early project that helped the firm gain its footing was RRM’s first fire station project in Arroyo Grande. Bob, Rob, and Vic reminisced about how they bid against three other architects and won – only to realize that their bid was $20,000 while others were at $50,000. Rob joked, “You know, you celebrate. We’re gonna do a great project and then you realize you bid 20 grand to do it and everybody else was at 50 and well… no wonder we won. But you know, I’m still proud of it today. It was a creative brick fire station, and going back to what Bob said, everybody put their heart in it and wanted to do it. [We] worked day and night. I mean, we did it twice because we didn’t know what we were doing.”

Vic’s Legacy: 

By the early 1980s, both Bob and Rob had moved on to pursue other ventures – Rob leaving around 1980 for development opportunities and Bob staying on at RRM for another eight years before opening a men’s clothing store, but returning to development thereafter. 

Vic led the firm as CEO/President from 1981 to 2006, and his impact on the firm’s growth and vision is clear. Both co-founders turned to him when asked what had most impressed them about RRM over the decades. 

Bob stated: “…creating what is San Luis is today – I think RRM had a big part of that. But for me the biggest impression has been the guy at the end here: Victor…. Leading this firm for as long as he did, I’ll never know… because the egos that he had to deal with… and then growing the firm. It’s been amazing for me to watch.” 

Rob echoed this sentiment, adding, “I would second that. I think he was the strength that kept it together. I think you know we were good at getting it off the ground. I wasn’t good at showing up in the office. I wasn’t good at timecards.… But I think that the strength of allowing it to go from the beginning where it was to today is really all to his credit.”
 

What it Takes to Create Environments People Enjoy:  

Despite the early struggles, it was clear that R, R, & M’s collective drive and resilience laid the firm’s foundation. When asked what set RRM apart in the early days, Rob reflected on the team’s commitment to creating tangible change in their community: “You know, it’s funny – you do these projects and you get community pushback, but then later… you go out there with your kids trick-or-treating, and everybody loves it. And so you wonder, where’s all the opposition when it’s all done and the streets you built and designed are being used?” 

When asked about a quality that they think has sustained the firm, Bob shared: “Well, there’s probably a lot of different qualities that contributed, but I think it was the passion that all three of us had for design and creating things. I think the firm still has that passion today. And then the other thing was, we wanted it pretty badly. We went through quite a bit of tough times, which is a whole bunch of other stories. But we stuck in there, and I think it’s a tribute today to see RRM expanding into different markets throughout California and even up in Seattle. They continue to take risks – calculated risks!” 

A Legacy That Lives On 

Looking back – and looking ahead – it’s clear that the foundation laid 50 years ago continues to shape the spirit of RRM today. We’re grateful to Bob, Rob, and Vic for joining us, for sharing their stories, and for reminding us that great design is rooted in passion, perseverance, and a commitment to shaping the world around us. 

This sentiment is perfectly captured by Bob when asked, “If you were starting over right now, what advice would you give your young self?” He remarked, “Well, my advice would be to stay with RRM!” 

Here’s to the next 50 years! Scroll down to see a few snapshots from this unforgettable morning.