R.A. Industries is celebrating more than 40 years in business this year.

The company’s origins start even further back. Sixty years ago, the Follman family of Orange County, California, supplied upstream components to the oil and gas industry for subsea, deep-sea and land applications. It all began with Adam Follman from Michigan, who relocated to California at a time when machining exploded in southern California.

Today, companies are few and far between that remain on the Golden State’s manufacturing landscape, and R.A. Industries is one of them.

In 1976, second-generation Robert Follman formed R.A. Industries to continue offering expertise in engineering and manufacturing sophisticated upstream assemblies, subassemblies and components using materials such as beryllium copper and titanium for the oil and gas exploration industry.

Using CNC machining techniques, the company’s products for subsea/deep-sea applications include: a cylinder and control valve, custom weldment housing for robot arm gripper, navigation subassembly for remote-controlled vehicle, and robot arm gripper subassembly, just to name a few.

Recently, Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.), the chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime, toured R.A. Industries’ campus and facility to learn about the critical components the company engineers and manufactures for energy contractors in the supply chain.

Company founder and Chairman Robert Follman, 74, was honored by the Congressman for his dedication to providing jobs and contributing to the local economy and vital American industries.