International Rubber Products Group (IRP Group), based in San Clemente, CA, specializes in medical devices, aerospace and defense products, and the coating and laminating of rollers. Rod Trujillo, International Rubber Products Group Founder and CEO states, “IRP Group is a conglomerate of companies, and we currently have three platforms.” Trujillo goes on to explain the three platforms, “Medical device, where we make critical- to- function parts for medical devices; aerospace and defense, where we make critical seals for airplanes and defense type weapons; and we have a company that does coating and laminating of very high-precision rollers that we ship all over the world.”
Casper Zublin, Jr., IRP Group President, explains they only do those parts that are really critical. “They have to be a perfect part for the use they are going into. If they’re going into an airplane, they’ve got to be a perfect fit. If they’re going into a medical device, they better be a perfect part.” Zublin, Jr., states the company’s annual growth rate has been around 23% in the last five years, and credits all of their success to the people of the company.
Susan Perkins, IRP Group CFO, expands on Trujillo’s influence on the company. “Rod is very savvy with respect to seeing the opportunities. He's a big part of why the team has so much heart, why there is such an emphasis on people of the company.” Perkins goes on to explain how she’s worked in a lot of different finance and accounting worlds during her career, and IRP Group is the first place that’s really put the heart behind caring about people.
Perkins discusses the relationship the company has with First Bank. “The values, the work ethic, and the heart that we value here at IRP,” she said, “are echoed in the bank that we work with, First Bank.” Zublin added on, “Karen Brown, our Commercial Loan Officer, has been a friend, an advisor, someone who stood with us through hard times. You need a bank partner that will be honest with you. A bank partner that will stand with you when things get rough.” Trujillo stated, “It’s been a real pleasure to actually work with and meet the executives at First Bank and just grow with them. I don’t think that we’d be where we are at without Karen and without First Bank.”
Brown stated, “It's a trust on both sides, and you can't ask for anything more than that in a solid banking relationship.”
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