How we started
Established 2022
Owned and founded by Richie Reitz
Richie is a Northern California native, born in Chico and raised in the East Bay. Growing up with a second‑generation carpenter and builder for a father and a finance and business manager for a mother, he was surrounded by both the trades and business from an early age.
He developed a love for electronics and electricity as a kid, reading everything he could about the history of electricity and how it could be controlled. That curiosity turned hands‑on quickly—much to his family’s frustration—as he regularly took apart electronics just to see how they worked.
In high school, Richie completed two years of electronics courses and initially planned to pursue circuit design. However, advanced coursework revealed that most of that path was software‑based, and it did not match his desire to work with his hands or spend time outdoors, where his true passion lies.
Right out of high school, Richie entered a state‑approved electrical apprenticeship program and spent five years working in the Central Valley on school projects, including Lathrop High, Kimball High, and Sebesta Questa Elementary. By 25, he had earned his license as an electrician and went on to lead teams on multi‑story housing projects in the San Jose area for the next three years.
At 28, Richie designed and built the Altamont Beer Works production facility and tasting room, where he also learned to brew beer and maintain production‑scale beverage systems. After Altamont, he worked as a project manager in access control before launching Ri Electric.
Ri Electric was born from Richie’s passion for working directly with customers and providing honest, transparent service to his community. He saw a strong need for electrical expertise and true craftsmanship in the trades and brought with him a deep background in building, design, and business management.
Today, Ri Electric is built on a culture of continuous learning and humility—never assuming to know everything, but always striving to grow in a constantly evolving industry. The team is driven by a simple goal: to deliver high‑quality, custom electrical work that customers can trust.